Finding the Four-Eyed Samurai WITH YOU?
by Fenrir's Lockhart
Summary: It's been a year since the trio disbanded. Everything is back to normal, except Mugen and Fuu's memories refuse to subside. Meeting by chance in Edo, the two "forced" to travel together again, decide to find "you know who". Throughout their misadventures, something is subtly but surely changing between the former waitress and pirate. Maybe it was there all along... FLUFF and angst.
1. Prologue 1 Frivolous Frustrations

_**Prologue 1 Frivolous Frustrations**_

{Original Title: Get Out of My Thoughts!}

[A/N]: _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. This is my first Fanfiction story ever and I hope you like it! I've gotten back into Samurai Champloo again. I'm hoping to spread the Fuugen/MuFuu love, my all time favorite pairing ever._

_DO NOT SKIP THESE TWO PROLOGUES. They directly connect into the story and provide insight into what's going on right before the first chapter. In fact, they used to be chapters 1 and 2 until I revised._

**IF YOU'VE ALREADY READ THIS STORY IN THE PAST:** _Since the first chapter was originally posted in 2012, I am constantly in the process of rewriting it. So, you may find errors and typos scattered throughout. I am always writing new chapters so revising takes a lot longer than I'd like. Occasionally, I even put in new scenes or dialogue where it may fit. So yeah...__ Combining younger thirteen year old me with current me actually proves really difficult to write... I'll be revising this baby again and again until I'm satisfied._

_If you see ANY grammatical errors or something that seems to not make sense, message me and I'll fix it or explain if it was done on purpose. =^.^= Thank you. I have a lot of sentence fragments on purpose. But uh…I'm so confused when it comes to dashes and commas and semi colons. Let me know what you think._

_-So I'm hopin' you'll enjoy 'cause it's a helluva long fic. Read it, review it? Relax and sit back…maybe listen ta' a decent SamChamtrack. Or better yet, a few. And love yourself some Fuugen AKA Mufuu, just as much as…I do. *beatboxing in background…?*- (And this, my friends; is why I don't rap.)_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. If I did, there'd have been a sentimental reunion a loooooooooooooong time ago!

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><p><span><em><strong>Prologue 1 Frivolous Frustrations<strong>_

Wooden geta hit the same damn dirt caked road in another seemingly endless rhythm. It came to no surprise how tired, hungry, _horny_ and especially bored walking the ex-pirate was. No danger, no thrills. _'A whole buncha' nothin'.'_

For a multitude of days he'd somehow lost the sum of, Mugen journeyed the thoroughfare east to the capitol of Edo city in search of what…he wasn't exactly aware of anymore. Surviving on what little money from odd jobs wasn't the best idea… Really, the _only_ thing good about it was no profession pegged the vagabond to one town. Roaming was the only way he knew. Besides the occasional jack-of-all-trades or mercenary work, a couple of thugs he was fully capable of beating up here and there provided the necessary coin.

It was sunset. The golden heavens of summer's heat surveyed his crestfallen pace from above. Beads of amassed sweat drenched the suntanned young man's forehead; too lazy to wipe off with a forearm. More than anything some decent rest was needed. He knew though—with a languor sigh—that stopping for rest wouldn't be an option.

Hopefully by nightfall, he'd reach his destination.

It never befell the wandering vagabond that dates were important to track—time being irrelevant when death was nearby at a moment's notice _anyway_. So, Mugen already lost track of the day_ they_ parted ways, and the exact span of time it'd been since then. Rather than being tallied for some pointless reason like days were, seasons were different in the regard that they could be _felt_ and _seen_. This was how he took into account how old he was getting…and how much time must have past since _then_. Being summer, he figured that made their separation a little over a year now? Time flies.

Or maybe in his case, it felt too slow.

A full year of being alone, _fully_ _alone_ just like before…

Everything seemed so much easier when one could rely on your own capabilities, living,_ breathing_ solely for one's self. And that was the way he always perceived life was unregrettably lived to the fullest: through self-satisfaction. But then, his traveling companions stumbled along in the most unlikely of scenarios… He sometimes wondered how the hell he'd met them in the first place.

He went back to his typical wandering habits, living in the moment and not ever for a future. The times officials cornered the ex-convict were minimal for _his_ standards—mostly from petty crimes that found themselves stacking suspiciously after each respective city he ventured to. _Boring._

These steps he took, one after the next seemed pre-planned and _normal_. And the days seemed to grow longer now, more tasteless. They lacked that familiar_ excitement_. Maybe because of the amount of time on that journey to find the samurai who smelled of sunflowers, Mugen somehow had gone and _changed_… Well, a little bit.

That's right…

_Time alone isn't what changes people._

As much as he hated to admit, he once found companionship and entertainment in _them._

It seemed the birds on that path that had previously watched him with weariness now retired to their nests in the vegetation above. Their insistent chirping ceased as the sun sank lower into naught. Only one—a small, brightly feathered tanager—observed the vagrant in red with some odd, instinctual curiosity as it's head tilted to one side every time the man's clogs kicked up clouds of dust behind his heels

The loner wouldn't go as far as admitting to "miss" _their _colorful company; he wasn't _that _generous of a guy. Though sometimes, whenever he saw a man donning glasses torpidly sip a cup of tea from some distance away, he readied his sword for a quick spar. Never Jin though.

And when a little flicker of pink; that forsaken color stirred in the corner of his eye, he would stiffen his spine to brace himself for all sorts of whining… Or a young woman he'd see…never in the brothels he'd visited in the last year—_or at least never the girls he'd pick to bed_—the brown of her eyes would almost echo a voice so oddly familiar. And Mugen would grab her wrist out of the confusion of it all…until the woman's unfamiliar face and voice had been registered fully.

Never was _that girl_ either.

_Those figures cloaked in the most abstinent black—the crows…or men…whatever they were—_had not cared to pay a visit to collect his tarnished soul this past year either. ...Made Mugen occasionally wonder if _she_ chased them all off for good with her damn crying. She was, after all, the first person to _truly_ cry for him, and the _only _person who had put her life at risk to save his own.

At the edge of death those times on their trip, as much as he also hated to say it …Mugen was planning on letting go. Didn't think he'd make it through for one more day to lie in the sun. But, it was always the man's thoughts of _her _or that same damn, unavoidable pleading voice that brought him back to the world of the living; as if waking from a staggering nightmare into a slightly warmer reality. _A reality where she kneels beside him, tears streaking her saddened face._

Fuu was the one person who could do that to him. _Make him come back._

Maybe that was the one reason why he always failed to forget.

'_Wonder how the brat's doing…Knowin' her, she's probably gettin' into loads of trouble all alone this past year. Without me and Four-Eyes, she'd be stuck in a brothel or dead by now! I can't even begin to count how many times I saved 'er unappreciative ass…' _Mugen thought. He yawned and stretched lazily, beginning to reflect more of their past. It was times like these, as the air laid stagnant and surroundings quiet, that memories returned. He hated that.

Argumentative, nagging Fuu brought the trio together and held them close like some type of (dysfunctional) family. The two men always dashed away whenever they got the chance. Somehow; just as easily they'd end up looping right back where they belonged…much to her content, _and his infuriation_. _"It just turned out that way."_ Mugen used to reassure himself and her. But as time progressed, he developed something more, an attachment to the two? Why did he keep his promise to follow Fuu to the end?

He never left._ Not until…_

From his position on the road, Mugen tensed at the sound of a bush ruffle and reached for his sword.

After enough seconds passed, the same little tanager flew from the nearby hedges and landed some feet away, pecking at a grain laying on the ground. He eased his rigid composure with a small sneer. Danger was scarce when he wasn't saving someone anymore. _'Could be dead by now…She should'a really hired a 'tougher model' bodyguard like she always threatened us. Damn, that bitch needs it. We'd always be hullin' her outta trouble.' _he then scoffed.

'_Wait a sec, when did Four-Eyes ever save her? Like once or twice?! It was always me! Can't believe it took me this frickin' long to realize how lazy that bastard was! And they called me lazy. Hah! …The wench, what would she'd a' done without me...'_

He began walking again, the clomping clogs clacking relentlessly within these movements. That damn bird chirped all high and squeaky—just like_ her_—before it soon ascended to the sky, where he'd probably never see it again. Just like _her_.

_It was all so annoying_. Mugen quickened his pace; soon to dismiss any conjecture or motivation as to _why he_ was the savior of someone he so often considered hating. _'Must've been outta my mind.'_

Another sigh billowed through the already humid air that hung like a thick fog he endlessly trudged through. _'The dumbasses better not be dead. Who am I kidding? Four-Eyes ain't.' _Jin would be fine; he knew that all too well from repeated attempts at killing him! Closed off and quiet he may be...the samurai still could easily take out any above average warrior.

…Innocent and naïve Fuu though?

A strangely familiar pang erupted in Mugen's chest. _Her large, childlike eyes filled with tears... _He covered up this odd sensation with the sole feeling that ever sufficed in ridding it.

Anger.

'_...Does she ever leave me alone?! Seriously, five fucking times already? Who I should be thinkin' of, are women with REAL sex appeal. Slammin' bodies. Not some flat-chested plank on legs! Ugh…'_ Some unfortunate pebbles were jerked out of the fellow's way at the decision on liberating pent up frustrations. Walking for days with no human contact did things to people…

"GET OUT OF MY THOUGHTS!" The yell proved to be so thunderous; the several lithe trees covering the way must have shaken. It echoed palpably across the landscape, seemingly none nearby to hear his sudden outrage, besides a few other forest critters concealed in the flora. They'd probably assume he was some drunken crazy person. Wasn't like the man concerned himself with what animals _or_ people thought either way.

This ironically…wasn't the first time in a year that insistent, unwanted memories of her assaulted him. He wished it'd be the last.

'_That little…'_

He passed more trees…more rocks…more bushes…_more_ trees… After about an hour or more of the same monotonous walking, his weary eyes caught sight of the alluring lights of Edo just down a sharp incline on the road. The last time Mugen stopped there was with Jin and Fuu on the painstaking lookout for a certain samurai…

"HELL YEAH! First frickin' city in days!" he shouted again aloud, exultantly, making it in _decent _time. There were promises of women too, women who he could easily forget in the midst of physical craving alone. And that was all he was used to. Nothing more than that.

Mugen began a sprint down the hill leading to the capitol with some kind of new found energy not visibly exposed beforehand. Moments ago, he'd been nearly (if not completely) exhausted to death. For some reason before a brothel that would unquestionably provide a bed and sake anyway…he had the sudden urge to visit some cheap teahouse for some food, maybe a plate full of dango…and…maybe-

Maybe it was the fact that he subconsciously expected to see…a particular waitress in pink awaiting his unannounced arrival.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

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><p>[AN]:_ I tried to capture Mugen's character while still holding strong remnants of Fuugen. A bit OOC. I'd like to know what I can improve on or what I did well on._

Fuu: Eh? I thought I heard a familiar shouting in the distance…

*Silence*

Fuu: Just my imagination?

_^^ It reminds me of the episode about Fuu's diary. Episode 12 The Disorder Diaries._

_-Yeah. Thanks for readin' and leave a lil' review if you're not yet bored. Perhaps set me in a good mood, kinda like'a reward, if you possess the positive words. Hell, sometimes they can be stronger than samurai swords and more lovely than sunflower petals. I'll check it. Seein' the comments gives me the inspiration, the motivation. To keep typin' and writin', day and night without the slightest hesitation. Edo's up next along with our favorite heroine Fuu's visualization. Until then.*Record Scratch…?* - (Okay, I'll stop. Rapping is not my strongpoint. But it was kinda fun! XD)_

_**Prologue 1 End**_


	2. Prologue 2 Memorable and Melancholic

_**Prologue 2 Memorable and Melancholic**_

{Original Title: Knowing He's Alright…Is Enough}

[A/N]: _Kon'nichiwa! Hello again, readers! This is the chapter based around Fuu._

_There are going to be notes at the end of some chapters for translations to Japanese words, character names and references to historical people mentioned, along with character skits. Check 'em out after ^^._

_If any details about Japanese geography, names for things, etc. is incorrect for any of the chapters, please inform me! I really want correct information on Japan but it is hard 'cause Google and my own info doesn't supply everything about the Tokugawa era… Well for history dates, it can be inaccurate. It's SamCham after all_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Mugen and Fuu would definitely admit their feelings if I did.

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><p><span><em><strong>Prologue 2 Memorable and Melancholic<strong>_

Sometimes it was particularly hard for her thoughts _not _to stray to a time_ not_ so long ago. It proved even harder _not _to wonder, _not _to care…where the hell those two had up and gone off to.

The young waitress surveyed from the entrance of the establishment as the blazing orb set upon the darkening sky. People hurried to light their oil lamps, one light here, accompanied by others down the road a ways. Relief of the cool night's promising forgiveness approached.

This city: it managed to attract the young girl similar to how the indulgence of food attracted her stomach. Edo was populated, had work and the setting was much livelier than some nameless backwater town lost from any marker on a map. No doubt Fuu enjoyed her stay…at the start.

In all consideration, she'd be lying if she said this life didn't become the same tune replaying itself over and over— a broken record—an absent tempo for the past months. Was this what she desired? _Truly?_ Working at a teahouse with no money? The only reason she remained was maybe, if generous fate would consent to—she would bump into two bodyguards. Jin or Mu-

"Fuu-chan! Stop daydreaming! You have WORK to do, so get off your lazy rump and clean those tables!" her boss— Wakahisa Sayoko—screeched in discontent, interrupting unavoidable considerations like so many times before.

"Yes, one second!" she called back.

'_Why do I even bother… They'll never show up.'_

Several months ago and leading to this day, Fuu rented an apartment in Edo from the owner of her current employment— Sayoko…the Hag (as Fuu had come to calling her… In secret, of course). Dirt cheap monthly fees were awesome. Only problem being the stingy superior who coughed up little money and expected Fuu to work insane hours in order to accommodate for the place to stay. This was a lot like her past after her mother's death, before she met the warriors. Fifteen and recently "orphaned" over two years ago, Kizuko and Ogin—the proprietors of a rice ball shop—offered Fuu a bed to sleep in, along with honest work. Except…they'd been generous and empathetic unlike Sayoko now. (Mugen and Jin sure ruined that life for her by getting the whole place burned down at their first encounter!) Nevertheless, she'd been planning to find her father Kasumi Seizou despite the stable lifestyle firm in her grasp. On she went; a journey to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers! _How exciting!_

_That_ excursion took a year in itself. And it's _been_ over for a year after that…

'_They probably won't even pass by this place anyway. Well…it's been over a year since we separated but…I feel like it's been waaaay longer._' the dampened rag dragged against the smooth table. No. If _anyone_ didn't show up…it'd be _him_.

It was the most awful feeling to wake up with the reassurance that two people were nearby to protect you, only to find yourself all alone. For a month, Fuu would awaken thinking Jin was resting alongside the nearby wall; and Mugen was curled up in the corner of the room unabashedly snoring. It took time for her to get used to their absence. Never in her seventeen years had she felt this...vacant inside.

Occasionally, she'd dream of them too… Lots of red, frequently. There were always nightmarish spatters of blood; screams…but sometimes blue oceans, her mother, her father and sunflowers— and red again. Different red when they weren't nightmares, _familiar red_. More than a few times light tears would slip down her face as she awoke with a start, all while she looked expectedly to the empty spaces making of the room.

Fuu assured herself these were signs of getting_ way_ too emotional over bygones that should _stay_ bygones.

'_Before I met them, I was all by myself. It's stupid feeling like this. I barely knew the two idiots long anyway! They're probably causing all sorts of trouble! I'd be surprised if they're still…still…alive…' _the young woman clutched the cloth tighter. She proceeded to throw it into a nearby water basin, the rim layered in dirt and grease.

Their travels were preordained to end. Why should she have any right in delaying the inevitable freedom of their obligation?

They say moving to bigger cities aided in meeting new faces. The girls of Edo were always so prissy perfect though. Whenever Fuu mentioned Mugen and Jin…they didn't understand the way she did; they thought her descriptions of Mugen were especially strange, saying he must have been _such _an ugly, wild man… And Fuu would laugh and agree only because she failed to describe him correctly. Fuu knew that wasn't true. Her female acquaintances would probably completely fawn over his looks.

All in all, Fuu had no true friends— just the infrequent females, or dates which never led to anything more than a free meal for her—the people she'd met were _nothing_ like them.

She was going as far as working constantly; withdrawing into enclosed walls peppered with scents of rice vinegar and herbal tea…to avoid annoying people begging her to come along on their gossip filled, irrelevant hang out sessions. Some of them _were _nice, like Shizuka—who waitressed at a higher end restaurant. Fuu told her a lot about her ex-bodyguards. She proved to be the only one who understood… Still wasn't the same.

God, she missed those idiots. It was as if they were three inseparable sides of a triangle.

_A hollowed white triangle surrounded in red…_

Or maybe _she_ was the one who missed _them._ Maybe they didn't even care. The insensitive pirate, especially.

Presenting a withdrawn demeanor, Jin always felt serene and honest. She could tell him secrets or pour out her feelings and he would just listen patiently. It was none other than the ronin whom caught her crying twice or more, using what little talent he possessed at comforting an emotion filled, teenage girl.

Mugen? Mugen was…different and yes, in a bad way. Not only was he rude, self centered and argued constantly…every time she sought to tell him something, her hesitation buried the words. Made her feel so damn angry and agitated over…over nothing! Crying in front of Mugen was out of the question. _Funny..._ If there was anyone in the whole world whom she cried most over…it'd ironically be him.

Selfish, egotistical, jerk Mugen risked his life to save her, especially towards the end of their short-lived tale. Of course that was true…she knew.

And what reward had she ever given him? _Nothing._ She'd given neither of them anything for aiding to find a lost scent.

She realized she never even properlythanked them.

There were days—few— where Fuu forced every nerve to neglect memories of red and blue. On those same days like a chronic taunt, straining an ear to eavesdrop on customer's boasts…she swore people who came in were speaking of a journey a trio went on in search of an unknown samurai. The accounts people told managed to mess up in one way or another. The customers she listened to exaggerated; specifics were forgotten… Some accusations like having an affair with her bodyguards were just plain wrong! She wanted to slap these idiots upside the head and then rant on what really happened and that she was that very same girl they spoke of. Likewise…it would probably be in all of their best interests if none knew of their journey. Or what had _truly become_ of the girl, the ronin and the vagrant. So Fuu would stand a distance away, listening in on every detail the same way when her mother used to read her fairytales as a child. She bit her lip, looking down at the floor she swept…and would smile clandestinely.

Sometimes she heard rumors the three died somewhere forgotten. Fuu couldn't disregard if the stories of the vagrant or ronin's demise were false. She didn't even know. And that bothered her.

'_Jin's probably still traveling alone. I miss you Jin, even if you were frustratingly quiet all the time…Maybe he'll go back for that Shino lady, probably will. He still has over a year until he can see her again from the divorce temple…Wonder if she's waiting for him.' _Her heart rate felt as if it just quickened at the last thing. _The waiting. _Mental images of the past were avoided by serving another consumer.

"Here you are sir, your green tea and dumplings." Fuu forced herself to focus while contriving the best smile manageable. As the man with the bushy haired head looked up, she…was almost expecting to see a familiar smirk, an eyebrow with a scar across it…for him to give a raspy whisper about "fifty dumplings". Clumsy hands almost spilled the food.

But afterwards, Fuu sat down to rest and purge the cluttered mind of recollections of the past better left unattended to (without much luck). Stretching her arms across the huge lacquer table, she exhaled and let inner meditation take her away once more.

_'This life is boring. Wow... I'm actually starting to miss the constant dangers and kidnaps. Never thought I'd see the day. At least Mugen would always come after me. Well, hero isn't the word to describe him. Most of the time he's the sadistic villain! But no, he has a good side…somewhere. Gahhhh…I can't ever decide what to think of him.'_ she leaned her hurting head on her arms and groaned.

'_He's probably forgotten about me.'_

"That stupid jerk…" mumbled Fuu, tone laced in certain defeat. Seconds later, a sweet giggle bubbled from the unaccompanied waitress as she imagined the stupor on _his_ face whenever those same words used as forgotten insults hit their mark. The adolescent received some strange glances from a few patrons. _'I wonder where he is. Knowing he's alright is enough for me. If you don't ever come back…at least be alive. Both of you.'_

_Life goes on, __doesn't it._

"Fuu-chan! Hurry up and help out! NOW!" her boss with strands of gray hair yelled again, clearly irritated with the tired girl.

"Be_ right _there." The singy-song voice may have sounded more sarcastic than planned… Damn. Despite no urge to move, Fuu prepared to continue working.

_That's when she heard it,_ sending an odd jolt of energy rippling forcefully through at the evoking sound. It was capable of making her stand far faster than the dull command of an elderly witch.

Slow and steady shuffling of clog covered feet could be heard outside the restaurant. Someone approached. The footsteps sounded…recognizable. A surge of anticipation and swift hopefulness filled the void of a previously downhearted spirit; lingering about the entrance, was the expectant tea server awaiting the arrival of the man.

The heavy click of each step…could only mean…

_**~To Be Continued~**_

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><p>[AN]: _Please read the translations, 'cause they will add some more insight._

**Wakahisa Sayoko- **Sayoko means "evening child". Her last name, Wakahisa means "forever young". I named her this based on the irony that she's old and moody, thus having Fuu call her Sayoko the Hag behind her back. In Japanese, last names are written first btw.

_If anyone is confused why Fuu is 17, it's because in the original she was officially 15 (Mugen was 19-20, Jin was 20) and I imagine it took them one year to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. Since this takes place one year after the end of the series, that'd be a total of two years since she was fifteen. She's now 17. Mugen would be 21, turning 22. Jin would be 22. I have no idea how old Momo is._

Fuu: Eh? Momo-san, how old_are_ you?

Momo: *squeak* (I never reveal my age. MUHAHAHAHA! I mean…) *squeak*

_Tell me what you think of it, review please! The third chapter, which is technically Chapter 1 now, will start the main story._

_**Prologue 2 End**_


	3. Chapter 1 The Reprobate's Recrudescence

_**Chapter 1 The Reprobate's Recrudescence**_

{Original Title: Don't Start Cryin' Again}

[A/N]: _Dou desu ka? Being the complete geek that I am, I've gotten a few of my friends into Samurai Champloo. We must spread the SamCham love!_

_This chapter along with the prologues were extremely out of character originally so I probably reedited them the most, still much out of character though…_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Otaku Asian girls like me only dream, we don't own Samurai Champloo. Meh…

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 1 The Reprobate's Recrudescence<strong>_

'_Mugen?'_ Regardless of how nightfall crashed onto the city, Edo's lights went far and wide making the city spark up incandescently. Her knuckles were fading white from tightly squeezing her palms. _Could be… There was a great possibility…_

It after all, had been the anticipation that a specific traveler or two _just_ _might _show up that kept her ambitious on the particularly daunting days. If Jin—who she always assumed would come by first— arrived, maybe he saw Mugen somewhere on the road too. Once in a while when the day wasn't grueling, the humble waitress would work extra hours so she wouldn't miss them. Wouldn't be unlikely if that cranky old woman—Sayoko— refused to tell her they stopped in at all. The crone was cruel enough to do that. Those many days were left simply, with perpetual waves of disappointment.

Today was no different.

"…Welcome. Uh, sitting anywhere is fine." Fuu greeted a man and his two confidants towering over her with another of those phony smile. The tallest returned the gesture with an atrocious grin... It made her skin crawl.

Quickly ushering herself away, she carried the tray off to serve more customers… _To also conceal the discouraged look more evident by the second._

It became apparent as the night went on and on, those three men who recently entered stood out greatly amongst the other clientele. Their distracting voices became a soon to be nuisance, along with their entitled attitudes. The guys seemed pretty obnoxious since they banged outrageously on the tables. They even disrupted the peace by bothering the random people filing in! But above all, what bothered Fuu the most…was what they were saying. Every time she walked by to provide cuisine for another, they'd hoot or make crude remarks that couldn't so easily be just _shrugged off_.

"Look at that babe. She's cute. Heh. What I'd do to be with her for a night. Hey, waitress! Bend over a little more when you're washing that table." one of the _much_ _less_ graphic comments. Bold words coming from scum, it got _soooo_ old. "Why don't you come on ova' here and join us? We won't bite. Well, _not much_." another said.

Fuu always wondered why jerks like this never got scolded or kicked off the premises. They were fueling such rude behavior!

Her face seared red, not stemming from embarrassment, shyness or flattery by their vulgar words. Today had been hot and muggy, a_ccompanied_ with the amount of work to be_ endless_. To make matters worse, these types who came in gave her problems and she was always forced to keep quiet and bear with it! She made sure to walk rigid—not tilt her recently developed hips at all—or even look their way unless necessary.

The owner brimmed with apathy towards her workers. People were known to be fired for nameless reasons; Fuu was "blessed" with keeping the job this long. Ms. Wakahisa wasn't fazed if Fuu felt uncomfortable or had to deal with asses like this _all the time_. One thing was of main concern: money; plain and simple. So far there hadn't been too many issues (surprisingly for her) besides the infrequent sexual harassment or drunks. Which this is very funny…because considering how many times _they _slaved over helping her, guess how many times she'd been kidnapped, held hostage, beaten or nearly killed since their parting? Try _zero_. Maybe Mugen and Jin were the problematic idiot magnets that hauled in all the implausible trouble. For that reason she's relieved to see them go.

Only for a second though.

Her lips curved into a half smile… After all, it _did_ get _too _normal without all their fun (dangerous) adventures.

Business soared tonight as more flooded in from distant corners of the city. They were like knats to a light, Fuu considering negatively, the way they all swarmed in at once in hordes of hunger. Flashes of petal pink scurried in circles. She fulfilled orders, carried trays and most of all tripped on her own feet. For the duration of this time the three men continued to watch and make derogatory comments. This distraction was _really_ pissing her off.

The waitress almost said a remark…until she felt the cold eyes of Sayoko on her back. She had to bite her tongue.

No lie, Fuu's appearance went through some noticeable transformations since the start of her trip to find her father. She now possessed curvatures leaning more towards an adult woman instead of a young adolescent of fifteen. (All the right areas too, WIN!) Her face lost most of its pudgy child like appearance as well. Silky brown hair grew a few inches longer reaching down her back but she kept it in the same high ponytail and bun with ruby kanzashi hairpins stuck messily somewhere between. That ol' kimono with the yellow flowers was outgrown and soon forgotten, discarded for one that evidently exposed her figure better. Its shade was a similar cherry pink, obi and lining crimson red, and there was a floral pattern of deep blue. Really, the others would have looked good too: the yellows, oranges or light greens. She knew she bought the new one solely out of sentimentality.

But, Fuu was proud, to say the least…

_…until memory ignited a snarky voice mocking her body…or lack of it. 'I bet he'd still make fun of me.'_

When for a second taking orders was unneeded, Fuu slipped into the rear kitchen where her boss nauseatingly smoked a pipe, the tendrils of smog pouring directly into the waitress's lungs.

"Umm…Those guys are really bothering me. They're saying weird stuff and I don't like the way they keep looking at me. I have a feeling, a bad feeling. Wakahisa-san…" Fuu frowned, showing discomfort. She was beginning to fear walking home alone…

A bony finger jabbed into Fuu's shoulder as fiercely as a dagger. She winced. "Well, you'll just have to deal with it _won't you_. Don't you know who the guy in the middle is?!" The owner was shocked her oblivious worker shook her head.

"That man is Tadaaki Shinji, a daimyo of the cities' son! His pull with the shogun is strong and he's got the power and money to back him up. May be young for such a strong male but don't underestimate. Defy him and you're asking for a death sentence. I could lose this business if he wanted!" she scolded.

"But I…"

"No buts! You start somethin' and you're out of here. Back on the street! That should be the least of your worries once he's _your _enemy." Sayoko the Hag's threat spoke of ice and metal, hatred…and the faint spoor of tobacco escaping yellowed, crooked teeth. "I swear, the young ones nowadays don't know their place. You're less than dirt on their sandals, girl! You'd best remember that if you don't want to be killed, or _worse_."

When the chronic pipe smoker turned her back, her subordinate stuck her tongue out mocking the irritable boss. She was so old and nasty that Fuu didn't doubt if the liver spots covering her cheeks would continue to grow…until they consumed her whole wrinkly face! _'Humph, whatever. Like I'm afraid of some petty rich guy. This wouldn't be the first time…' _All Fuu was capable of doing was sulk over to their table and try her best to please her_ unappeasable_ boss.

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><p><em>'Dammit, where the hell should I go?!'<em> The ryukyuan's head spun. Finally in Edo city, it was a tough burden to bear when money was thin and choices were beyond abundant. Whiffs of buckwheat noodles and dango overwhelmed the senses as he searched for the right place…or just any place. Steam arose from the open shutters, billowing into the city streets and punctuated by the vendors who named the delicacies as they beckoned to the hungry. His disconcerted stomach elected for him. Impatient, Mugen chose the nearest one.

He pulled back the wind torn cloth draped in the doorway of the shabby teahouse, languidly scanning for a seat…

Again—he swore he caught sight of a pink on the way in… He scolded himself quickly that it reminded him of a not so distant past.

_Unbeknownst to the youthful waitress and the starving rogue, the distance between them must have been a meager arm's length._

She was fully ready to turn and welcome the new visitor…but was again preoccupied with those men. Taking their order was _hell. _He didn't bother turning his head, too focused on the _transcendent_ idea of _actually_ eating for once! The table he chose was all the way at the other end of the set.

_'Greeeat, just great. More customers equal more work for me.'_ Fuu sighed.

His back faced away from where the trio and waitress were situated. Leaning one leg casually over the other, wiggling around his clog with his toes, the vagabond observed his surroundings with what little he could make out from the bad angle. _'Average place, average food, average price…perfect.'_ He glanced at the people eating. Then to the tea server, _'Average people, average waitress…'_Mugen couldn't hear her voice or see her hair from the corner of his eye besides the men flirting and causing some type of ruckus.

'_No excitement to keep me awake…and this damn waitress sure is takin' her sweet time.'_ Mugen propped his head against his arm. Fuck, he was too tired.

'_The least she could do is bring me a frickin' water…'_

Little ways away, Fuu placed the tea and food on Shinji's table. They continued to watch _as if she was prey just waiting to be devoured._ "Hey wanna hang with us for a while, honey? You look like you need a break." One of them caressed her fingers as she set the plate down. Fuu hastily slipped her hand away, repulsion evident through abrupt action.

"Not interested." she added rudely. Nonchalant and cold Fuu continued by focusing on her job; rather than the more personal men's suggestive _offer_.

There goes _her_ tip. Oh well. It's better than getting hit on by pervs…

"Don't be like that, we won't hurt ya."

'_Are these guys serious?! UGH.'_

They may have burned holes into her from how prolonged their ardent stares were becoming; especially on _certain_ areas. Fuu refused to look back—gaze casted downward—remaining unresponsive. The tallest who she figured was the famous Shinji Tadaaki—judging by the expensive clothes with a fancy crest of a crown shape bolded in black dye—stood. He placed one hand firmly on her shoulder, which she tried rolling off.

He whispered in her ear. "Why don't you come back to my place? I'll make it worth your while. I'll pay you good too, if money is your desire." The nerve-racking voice made her adrenaline rise and Fuu wanted nothing but to run, _flee_ from this scary person. There was going to definitely be an issue here.

"I already said _no_." anger built up in her tone although she tried her best to regulate her rising temper. So she put on another bogus smile… Noted, she wasn't very good at it compared to all these other polite Japanese women. He was so creepy!

"You know you want to, maybe you're the type who doesn't even need money. You like it, huh. You'll enjoy it, I promise. I bet you're amazing at certain _skills_. So, have you ever…" She detected his unoccupied hand trailing down her back; then, he groped her bottom…

That's when Fuu's anger skyrocketed. No. More. Nice. Fuu.

Her instant reflex was to slap her molester, being Shinji, extremely solid across the face.

"DON'T TOUCH ME PERVERT!"

With_ that_ interruption as loud as ever, the whole restaurant curtly muted as the smack and shriek reverberated throughout. Shock must have passed straight into every living soul in the room. Not a movement was heard, (besides the brief beat of a fly's buzzing around the air who also eventually shut up in fear of being swatted). Silence flowed.

She continued to glare into the man's eyes. The other customers stared in disbelief at the server's audacity in slapping the well-known man of the capitol; the ignorant trio of men was speechless that _the _Shinji Tadaaki was hit by someone, especially by the petite woman; Sayoko was prepared to choke Fuu for such arrogance and disobedience.

…As for the quiet and unnoticed traveler sitting alone in the corner, he practically fell out of his seat when his dozing off was disturbed by that _all too familiar_ high pitched voice. '_No way. That ain't...'_ The vagrant cautiously craned his neck all the way—a flawless memory being a curse in his eyes—as he finally caught a glimpse of the waitress's face. It was_her_ alright. He paused for a moment. He smirked. Leisurely, the man got up to approach the violent scene ready to unfold.

A hand print formed across the bewildered man's cheek. He touched it cautiously as if it were a blistering burn, and that expression of surprise turned to viciousness.

"You little BITCH!"

Shinji suddenly shoved the unsuspecting waitress against the unwelcoming wall. A surge of pain shot through her head as it made contact with the cold stone, the rest of the dishes she carried shattering to the floor in clanks and shards of cheap ceramic. His two companions grabbed her thin wrists, holding her against her will as she slid _helplessly_ to her knees.

"You think you're gonna disrespect me in front of all these people? Do you have _ANY IDEA_ who I am?!"

In return, Fuu raised her head in total defiance and matched his scowl head on; a look vastly uncommon to such a young, and once seemingly naïve girl. "If my two bodyguards were here, you'd already be dead on the floor. I could care _less_ who you are!" and spat directly in his face.

The wealthy man wiped the saliva away. Shinji Tadaaki began to laugh cruelly.

"Well your bodyguards aren't here, now are they. You think anyonewould _bother_ saving a worthless whore like you?!"

_Mugen…Jin…Where the hell were they when she needed them?_

Her head hung low, hair masking her expression "I may not be…strong or brave…" as she gritted her teeth, even bit her lip. She finally raised her head high once more with "But that doesn't mean I have to be an obedient dog to cowardly scumbags like you that won't think twice about hitting a girl!"

Fuu could merely turn her head then…and flinch as the daimyo's son raised his menacing hand, She anticipated for the painful blow to land…

…but the sharp impact never came.

"Oi, the girl's with me. Let her go."

It was a deep voice, calm now…and yet…threatening_._ Some "_unknowner_" till this point gripped onto Shinji's …that was_ his_ voice sodden with malice that spoke.

The waitress thought her hearing played tricks.

"_You_, let go of_ me_!" Shinji yanked himself roughly from the grasp of the cocky interloper. "Who the hell do you people think you are?! Don't get in the way unless you want to die!" While the other two simultaneously released Fuu's wrists, they cautiously went to grip the hilts of their blades. Unrestrained, Fuu was left to slump upon the base flooring and given finally…a chance to observe her rescuer.

Vision partially blurry from banging her head…nonetheless, she saw the lean man in red. The messy hair, faded tattoos and that devilish grin proved it all. It was too much like false hope or a…a dream, and thus, the fact wouldn't register.

_'I...H-he…Wha?...I must have hit my head pretty hard…' _

Then their eyes locked. It was quick, but Fuu caught sight of an intensity in his tempestuous glare that had formed every time she was in danger. It was a look of anger, resentment and maybe even self-assurance towards his adversary… And an almost unnoticeable remnant of concern when their eyes would meet. Made her remember those days. It made her…recall the day he _first _walked into another teahouse.

"Try me! I welcome death every day a' the week." Mugen looked amused as he toyed with the three, cracking his tanned, calloused knuckles eagerly on both hands, one finger at a time. "But hey, if you're gonna make an attempt; can ya maybe _make it tonight_? I've got things to do and you're all wasting my damn time!"

"You bastard!" they charged towards him then, swords fully drawn which Mugen was easily capable of dodging their straightforward swings. The first's arm made a sickening snap as it was twisted backwards while disarming the katana. He'd been too careless in his actions. Mugen's speed got the better of him. Leaping from a tipping chair to the table, the vagrant landed a kick to the disorientated man's cheek which made the guy crumple in sheer pain— _courtesy to steel lined geta_. He span back around as the other came rushing from behind. Kneeing the guy in the face, he sent his opponent into dread. Jumping down from the elevated tabletop, the metal reinforced clog cut into his enemy's foot while Mugen elbowed him straight into his jaw repeatedly, each attack made was hit without hesitation, brute strength unrestrained. Two rotten molars flew free as the beaten man crashed into the nearby wall with one final blow to the mouth. Crumbling plaster drifted over his busted up body.

Their outward swings seemed to be evaded and invaded by the close and personal fighter.

For such a brutal brawl, it was short lived in its time span. Not for an instant did she let her focus be removed from the blur of red using such untrained fighting prowess. The way Mugen battled was so…unsystematic. But it seemed rehearsed; _a riveting dance of carnage._

"You're next buddy." he pointed to the daimyo's son.

Lastly, Shinji rushed at the vagrant while spewing off some vulgarities. Which, it was quite easily sidestepped. The blade cut vertically right into the air just behind Mugen's back. At that abrupt opening, Mugen grabbed his arm with a rough coil of his left hand—and applying his whole body to generate force into the hit—punched the royal regional governor's son directly in the nose with his right, fracturing the nasal bone. Blood dripped all over the table and floor as he wailed outwardly. The man holding his bleeding nose widened his eyes as he attempted to get away. The ex-pirate grinned before grabbing his back collar, and in a final statement turned him around and kneed his gut. More liquid surfaced from the man's throat; a mixture of blood and bile.

"That's what ya get." he murmured. The steel of geta stepped onto the man's finger's cutting into them. He then began to kick Shinji specifically in his injured stomach while they lay sprawled across the floor in torn ligaments and sore bones. They were all still _perfectly _conscious. "Now get your pansy asses outta here!" his voice boomed like some class of a demon… The group managed to crawl towards the exit before helping each other stand.

"This isn't the end! You'll regret this!" Their voices echoed the threats while holding their broken bones and bruised faces, as they ran out and spit blood in the process. They cursed, not without leaving a trail of intimidations in their more or less_ pathetic _wake.

Those still sitting in the restaurant sat petrified. Some pretended they'd witnessed nothing; afraid the vagrant would catch their stares and actually _use_ his untouched sword. They comically turned around and continued conversation like nothing happened… They were content to leave that as a fact.

Mugen sighed, his hand running across his ruffled scalp. "The idiots could _barely_ handle their swords." Now was the chance to bounce wasn't it…pretend he didn't just save-

…her. She was still staring, and what the hell was he going to do now that the same girl he hadn't seen in over a year was so clearly close to his reach? One pitiful half-step was taken towards the door… He should leave. _He really should._

Against all logicality, something strange instead caused Mugen to turn to the astonished girl at a loss for words; still she huddled on the ground discombobulated with what just transpired. The door was so close. It is soon forgotten when he hears her voice again.

Trembling still…the waitress stood— taking puny steps towards him—never bothering to break off his full on gaze.

"Y-you…"

"What's the matter? You goin' senile, girl? Can't remember your old bodyguard?" he gave a mischievous smirk, _his smirk_.

She remembers. Of course she does. Even if it had been decades instead of the short period of a year, she would've remembered. Not a lifetime would allow that look, _that one look_ on his features to be forgotten.

"Mu…gen."

"Yo." he answered coolly.

But he did turn…and began to walk away 'cause he knew damn well that he should—that this…might be the best for them both.

"Mugen wait!" this time, the female rushed towards him perhaps more unpredicted than those men attacking, leaving the startled male _not a single_ opening to make for a retreat, as he rotated back to face her.

The retired yojimbo almost fell backwards from the impact of her grasp.

"It's really…it's really you!"

Seemed like making a dash for the exit, overlooking ever seeing the girl…seemed like that wasn't happening tonight.

Fuu squealed in pure and divulged happiness. Inexorable trails thick with water gushed from chocolate eyes, soaking into the tall man's undershirt. He flinched, he frickin'_ flinched_.

"_Yeah, yeah_. The one and only… Now can ya not be so clingy?"

"I missed you!" she could only tighten her grip on his gi, wherein no ounce of emotion was controlled as it poured visibly down her flushed face onto the swordsman's chest. Being close to someone like this wasn't a familiar feeling for Mugen when the contact wasn't sexual or violent. Having the company of a crying woman was even more annoying… So his arms dangled awkwardly at his sides while Fuu embraced him with such tearful joy. They never…hugged before. That was for her and her stupid blue ronin; _not him._

"I know you missed me, who wouldn't? Seriously, let go before I suffocate. Startin' to hurt…" he joked, trying to aggravate her to at least stop the _hugging_. Sobs worsened. "Hey girlie, don't start cryin' on me again. You know I ain't a fan a' that mushy shit."

"I can't…I can't stop crying, you jerk! I thought I would never see you again…t-that maybe you died or something or-"

"It hasn't even been that long, and I ain't dead so-" In the vagrant's fed up attempt to pull away, Fuu was involuntarily jerked forward. She squeaked, the clumsy broad, and his arms effortlessly caught her so she didn't trip. This…caused her to crash into him further. She looked up darting her eyes about his face—just a split second in some strange confusion of the way he held her. The vagrant _didn't want to_ have to stare in those teary eyes this long. _Didn't want her_ _to_ get the wrong idea that he cared from the way he grabbed her. So Mugen pulled her face into his chest, for their stare to no longer meet. Might as well go with the flow, huh.

"Idiot…" Mugen mumbled the name somewhere into brown hair.

'_Guess it ain't too bad seeing your face again.'_

_They stood there for a good half a minute, didn't move…because, what would happen if they did?_

So when her sniveling soon calmed, Fuu pulled away from Mugen first, which surprised him; apologizing, while she wiped away the tears with her wrist. She hadn't meant to be so…emotional.

Their reunion was short lived when her boss—Wakahisa Sayoko again— stomped up to Fuu.

"I can't believe this! Can't you see, SEE what you have done?! I told you not to cause any problems! And look at you, you pathetic tramp! Have your stuff packed out of the apartment by tomorrow, GET OUT!"

A guttural snarl rose within Mugen, waiting to be fully unleashed upon the incredibly brutal older woman manipulating Fuu's life over something she couldn't begin to control. Fuu however, pushed him back before things would escalate. Everything ached: eyes red, body sore. No further energy should be reserved for fighting, especially since Mugen was here…something she'd been impending for far too long.

"Fine. I was _planning_ on quitting anyway. So yeah, save your breath." Amazingly composed she turned back to Mugen, smiled. "Let's go, okay?" and pulled him happily right out of the thick fog of tension.

Outside, crowds of people still strolled along even after it was quite late and the tired sun set long ago. There was probably a kabuki theatre show tonight since many headed in a similar direction. The place Fuu was staying at wasn't far. "…I…better go pick up my things then." She quietly started their conversation, much to be said and very little that could be spoken in spite of this reunion between them. It appeared to him, the way the light shined on the pink of her new kimono, as vibrantly as the color shown, how real this truly was.

Mugen stretched his arms across his head while not understanding the young woman alongside. "You handled that so well."

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't ya upset that you lost your job and home 'cause of me? I mean, you used to be pissed for a lot less. Hell, I remember once you were worried we'd get kicked_ out _of Edo for helping this one foreigner dude from Holland."

"Why would I be upset? It's not worth yelling with that old _hag_ over. And…it's not your fault either. Those guys were harassing me and I'm much happier that you're here anyway. We have so much to catch up on!"

"Stupid broad. Standin' up to the guy and almost gettin' yourself killed _knowing _you can't fight."

"Well I-"

He interrupted "Don't start something unless you got no regrets and you're fully confident you can win! What were ya trying to pull?!" Mugen inhaled. "Always managing to get into some kind of trouble, don't'cha."

Fuu's next comeback to his smart remark made him swallow back another set of words. Couldn't remember the last time someone was capable of doing that. Besides her.

"Well…you always manage to save me."

Even if for some reason it wouldn't be for long, the two wanted to stay _this way_ for as long as time would permit… Time; their time together had always seemed so short. Maybe to Fuu…she considered it sweet.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _In the rewrite, I remember adding the line about how she could at least bring him a water and it got me all emotional. It's like Ep 1 all over again TT-TT_

**Tadaaki Shinji**: references Tadaaki Abe, a famous government official or "daimyo" during the early Tokugawa era…Though, he's not really related to Shinji. Shinji means multiple things, the "shin" being "calm, decency, trust" which he's the opposite, while "ji" "can be "next" or "govern" which fits cause he's next to govern as daimyo. It's a more modern Japanese name too. Also, the crest on his clothes is referencing the logo of the sneaker company Supra, which is a king's crown, befitting for his role and adding the Samcham hiphop flair. This is similar to Ep 1 of the anime, where the samurai crests were sneaker logos: Adidas were the leaves and Reebok were the stars on their clothes. I'm serious. Lol.

_Did anyone notice Fuu's kimono color?_

Fuu: Hey Mugen, did you notice anything about my clothing? My kimono is different.

Mugen: Uh…It…makes you look more flat chested?

Fuu:_ BAKA_! It's the same color as your old outfit and Jin's old outfit combined with my favorite, pink. You're so insensitive!

Mugen: Well, sorry. _GOD_.

_Mugen is always so mean, but that's just what makes him all the more lovable. Remember, reviews make my heart flutter with infinite joy. Thanks again! _

_**End of Chapter 1**_


	4. Chapter 2 Vestiges Voided

_**Chapter 2 Vestiges Voided**_

{Original Title: Reminiscences in Mementos}

[A/N]: _Hisashiburi Minna!_

_I bought a Samurai Champloo notebook a long while ago, but I'm still afraid to write in it and mess up its magnificence. I even got the Roman Album with facts on the anime and artwork. It helped greatly with information about locations in Japan, the side characters and rare details about the anime. _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. I think my life would have been complete if I did…

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 2 Vestiges Voided<strong>_

The residence Fuu stayed at was located in the heart of one of Edo's many business districts. They strode in comfortable silence. Compounded chatter exuding from the people and merchant shops served amply enough in covering for their lack of communication. Mugen presently walked alongside her, lengthy arms folded behind his head, staring vacantly to the dark sky beyond the floodlit city. In daylight, mountains would be visible on the cities' borders. While Fuu seemed to be fixated on their path, she held in the overbearing happiness and reluctance of her ex-bodyguard's return.

A smile formed at the edges of Fuu's lips. Mugen who glanced sideways—for the first time—instantaneously noticed.

"What's with that stupid look on your face?" he said, trying to sever the unnecessary peace between them.

She couldn't help grinning wider, "Nothing. I'm really excited, that's all. We haven't seen each other in a _whole_ year, so I'm glad we're actually together again. And you came at the perfect time." It _was_ Mugen. Not an everyday guy you meet on the street. He was notorious for the casual obnoxious things he said. This used to be a day-to-day ritual—natural—and she was in such high spirits for exactly that reason. Those impolite words hadn't been heard in so long that, at a point the waitress feared she couldn't recall how they resonated on his tongue in a deep, provoking way.

Mugen derided the tea server's unexpected reaction.

That smile of hers…started to fade away however as the blissful thoughts of his arrival roamed to those of uncertainty_. 'I have no job, no place to live and no real friends besides Mugen. I should have gotten more prepared in case I was fired...and evicted. And Mugen…now that he's back, will he leave soon? I can't ask him to travel with me. That's too much.' _She looked to the sky for any signs of stars, but the city's lights concealed the twinkling flecks from view. _'Where am I supposed to go?'_

Likewise, Mugen couldn't prevent over-thinking _'Who would'a thought I'd see her this soon…Hell, I can't believe I saved her ass again! Those assholes just might come back, thanks to her being so friggin' careless. Those threats seemed real and she can't stay in this god-forsaken city. I could always take 'er to the next town…She probably won't wanna leave! Damn…women are so fucking difficult...'_

Fuu eventually unlocked the door to her quaint apartment. "I wasn't planning on staying long so the place is sort of empty. I haven't really saved up much money either...heh."

"Knowing _your_ appetite, how could ya?" Mugen poked fun at the girl finally rolling her eyes in impatience like he rightfully expected.

"I'm not taking much with me, there's no way I can carry a whole bunch of trinkets. Hmm…I might miss this place a little, even if there isn't much." She glided open her front door fully, shuffling over first to a box parked in the middle of the living room. Without entering, he waited, while leaning on the cracked pane of the doorframe. "So what brings you to the city?" he heard her question.

"Nothin' special." came his dull reply.

"Oh."

They started simultaneously "So have you seen-"

…where they came to suddenly understand neither had seen nor heard from the third and final member of their long since disbanded party…for over a year now.

"…I see… No, huh. I thought Jin would have at least seen you on the road. I wasn't expecting _you_ to drop by first." He noticed how Fuu appeared nearly…downcast as she turned, idling herself with rummaging through what little possessions she owned. It sounded to him like she'd have _preferred_ the other bodyguard's company considerably more than his own… Mugen had for quite a time presumed his two companions' closeness to be..._more than friendship_. Jin the roving samurai strangely wasn't present though—he _never_ found her—and Mugen found her first.

His feet gradually entered after Fuu's.

The homely apartment was modest with little more than a kitchen and place for a futon and table. Fuu lived with incredibly few belongings because of an aspiration to travel once more. Never knowing when the right moment would be, the anticipated day became sooner than initially predicted. This still slightly perplexed Mugen. Since he was a boy barely having learned to walk, he lived a nomadic lifestyle, where only the occasional inn (or brothel and sometimes even outside in the warmer seasons) is where he resided for a night of sleep. For as long as the drifter could recall, there had been no such relatives or residence to return to. Mugen the vagrant was much like a stray dog.

And no one wanted a dirty mutt.

As if reading his mind, Fuu averted the attention from the small box and tilted her head to the side, inquisitively. "You know, it never really felt like a true home here. Maybe it's because there were no friends or family around. It got lonely a lot." She beheld the sight of him even as he didn't return her stare.

"I never had any a' those, so I _wouldn't_ know."

She gave the thin vagabond another sullen look before getting up and searching elsewhere for any belongings worthy of bringing. "You have me, don't you?"

How could he respond to something like that? It was so simple; confusing. Even if he comprehended somewhere that this person was the strange thing known as a "friend", neither openly acknowledged their friendship. Till now, at least. Mugen was her ex-bodyguard, fellow traveler, escort, attendee, an idiot, jerk and _whatever else_ she used to identify him.

He didn't answer, too absorbed in his consideration as to what this meant.

After much searching, Fuu suddenly leaped to her feet in victory at her discovery. "Ah! Found it!" she chimed and held a pair of battered lenses that seemed to be reasonably worn in the past.

The left lens was cracked.

"_No way_, are those Four-Eyes' old glasses?! I thought he lost 'em."

Kariya Kagetoki, the accomplished government samurai was able to knock them off with a swipe of his katana while the two fought upon the waterfront. Fuu nodded pleasantly, so excited to share this artifact of importance to someone who'd _actually understand_ its deeper meaning rather than all the unimportant acquaintances making up her brief stay in Edo. "I found them washed up on the shores of Ikitsuki Island before we left. Crazy, huh? He's probably gotten a new pair by now, but these ones bring back memories. We had to look at them every day, after all."

"Yeah, I had to see_ his_ ugly fish face_ every_ day." he snickered under a breath.

"I wonder where he is. Wandering still? I hope he's alright…"

"He probably went and settled down, the stickler." disappointed that his aforementioned rival was likely enjoying a different standard of living than his own. "Or maybe he's lettin' the good times roll, like I did the past year. Women galore." he glanced to Fuu.

Fuu showed something…familiar, this reflective sadness displayed over Jin; since surely, it would be less probable for the trio to reunite if his statement was accurate. However, the discouragement Mugen felt could have an individual origin altogether.

Jin being…contrast to him wasn't what vexed Mugen. Or maybe his stomach churned _because_ Mugen was the odd one. Throughout their journey Jin proved to be the "nice guy" who would _be_ there for Fuu. More than once, the unnoticed ryukyuan eavesdropped on the pair talking alone and that bizarre sensation in his gut further worsened after each sentence they'd privately share. Mugen was never very good with tears, so he would usually stomp off when Fuu's started. _Jin would stay, Jin was the perfect guy_. Of samurai class, was respectable and well respected, had fair skin and hair, an amazing temperament, would be able to provide for a woman and finally, was _willing_ to settle down. To say Mugen was different was an understatement. They were _polar _opposites! The loner was an ex-criminal, rude and violent—the epitome of the danger all should fear.

The fact that the solitary individual Mugen bothered to safeguard kept a reminder of Jin and not him, deepened this outrageous sense of inferiority. Mugen believed he really did lose to the honorable man; how and what exactly he lost, he wasn't aware of.

Dusky orbs studied the girl who held the glasses against her chest, exhibiting troubled features that used to be reserved for when death came to take _his_ soul. That same expression, that _same _look of lament. He _lost_.

The words tumbled free afore there was time to shut out the frustration. "Why bother keepin' those fuckin' glasses? They're not even real. Besides, they're all wrecked!" The spite in his voice surfaced accidentally; it startled both in the room.

"Eh? I was planning on keeping them as a memento until I saw Jin again." Her lips nearly quaked, confused _and _angered at the bitterness. "You don't still hate him, do you? After all we've been through together?! Mugen, he's you're friend too!"

"Forget it. I'm just hungry and waiting for your slow ass is borin' as all hell."

He turned away and leaned adjacent to the nearby wall. "Hurry up or I'm leavin' without ya!" Setting up his commonplace attitude once again was the solution he was used to when avoiding her puzzled stare—that stare that drove him nuts…_that stare he remembered all too well_. _'I don't give a shit what he is. Why should I care?! The high and mighty bastard belongs with the whiny bitch!'_

No, he didn't hate Jin; he didn't carry that burning urge to kill him anymore. Jin at one point said he considered Fuu and Mugen his first friends and that must have been so important for him to say…after they learned early on that his words were among few. The two somehow formed a bond of mutual friendly rivalry rather than avowed adversaries… What Mugen _detested_ was how Fuu _appreciated_ Jin more after Mugen was the one who always came back for the damsel in distress. _He _was the one who protected and saved now he questions why he bothered to. Yet he was still second, just as he'd _always__ been_ second best and imperfect when compared to the "flawless" Jin.

'_What's his problem?! It's been a year! I thought they settled their differences…' __Shaking off the rudeness, she_returned to collecting the various things around the house.

Kneeling, Fuu maneuvered her hand beneath the dull futon she'd never again slumber in and hesitated briefly as her fingers grazed against cold metal. She knew it was there under the mattress but still…it was a surprise to actually_ see_ it again. It was pulled from beneath the bed as Fuu considered the unusually small scarlet tanto that was quite different from her own light pink one. Half of its color was a reddish shade off; the only sheath she found that could fit it wasn't of the original smithing material.

_It reminded her of him_.

* * *

><p><em>It was a mere day after the events of Ikitsukishima. It was…the same place where she came close to losing both of them. Mugen and Jin still lay unconscious; their heavily dressed wounds taking much time and proper rest to heal fully. <em>

_It's while they sleep that Fuu considers taking a walk, to clear her head of their perilous journey together and what would become of the soon to be end. This is it. She saw her father, they beat their past enemies. What now? The lone girl finds herself retracing hoary steps of the steep cliff she had ran along…That was the time when she believed Mugen would die, the tears choking her sobs. Fuu grimaces at the memory. _

_There, at the bottom of the sea sprayed crags…were the leftover remnants of a Christian church Mugen had further desecrated in his fight with Umanousuke. _

_The girl traverses carefully over the uneven rubble, stepping past broken banisters, tiptoeing on cracked planks. She notices small splashes of blood. Mugen's blood. Breathing deeply, Fuu is about to head back to them. Though, in the far corner lying on the debris lays a shard of metal that shines briefly from the sunlight. She turns to the red object, squatting down to uncover it from the debris. It's…Mugen's tanto. She recognizes its rustic red color to his sword sheath; it was ordinarily concealed at the bottom. _

_Now here it is, lying forgotten. Fuu picks it up, careful not to cut her fingers on the blade since it possesses no small scabbard to accompany it. When she returns to the hut on the top of the knoll, she wraps it carefully in bamboo paper. Mugen was still asleep…and Fuu finds herself tucking it in her clothes._

_The knife is never given back to him that day or any other day of the last moments they spent together; it would be the only physical reminder of the ex-criminal she kept._

* * *

><p>Without the dagger used as his ace in the hole—his last resort when the tsurugi became useless—Mugen could've died a considerable number of times. Fuu figured it was the only weapon he had left after he'd…given up his sword for her. For that reason, Fuu was beyond grateful for its sole existence. The knife was placed beneath her mattress due to her ludicrous (and failed) attempt at forgetting him and those flooding nightmares of how they all almost died. Such a tiny thing…capable of killing countless people as a surprise attack; even so, Fuu never feared it.<p>

"What's that?" Mugen stepped behind the kneeling girl. And just as quickly, the newly sheathed tanto was tucked into another loose sleeve. "I-it's nothing. Nothing important. Just something I've held onto for a while."

_'Why am I so self-conscious of showing I have it? Maybe I should give it back… It'd be more honest… More truthful of me. No. When he leaves again.'_

Irony, he didn't know Fuu cherished his tanto with more adoration than he'd ever realized.

"You finally ready? Let's go. I want somethin' to eat."

The high-spirited youth took her lacquer pink tanto as well, festooned with a cute dog charm, the Christian netsuke skulls that originally aided in finding her father and a string of dice for good luck in gambling. She tried to gather a few other items on the low set table. Fitting them in her kimono was difficult without a proper bag.

"Are you expecting _me _to pay?" she pointed an accusing finger, to which Mugen laughed.

"Of course, why else would I want_ you_ following _me_?"

The girl giggled. '_You jerk.'_ After waiting a year, where the seasons fleeted into the next so slowly, time sure paid off to see the rude bastard once more…if it was to be that. _Just once more._

"Momo-san! Wake up, we're leaving!" At the door, she waited for any movement…until a miniature flying squirrel poked its head out from beneath the yarn fibered covers. Momo yawned and squeaked, before scampering across the tatami mat and gliding his fluffy body into the collar of her kimono. "Mugen, wait for me!" she shouted and then closed the door determinedly. _No regrets on leaving_. He was already down the block inspecting the sights of the capitol.

'_Alright. Food first and then I'll figure out what the hell I'm doing.'_ Fuu affirmed and grumbled silently, jogging to the man's side—who delayed unintentionally from afar for her to catch up.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]:_ The tanto Mugen hid in his old tsurugi sword sheath is important for a chapter waaaaaay later. Don't forget Fuu kept it. Jin's broken glasses as well._

_Did anyone get the same impression that Mugen feels a little inferior to Jin? Especially at that scene where she hugs Jin on the water bank and says sorry, Mugen looked upset as he watched secretly. But she mentioned Mugen after Jin didn't finish his sentence… It sounded like she chose Mugen over Jin, and that's why she apologized to Jin. I was always curious what that scene in Episode 24 meant. (I may do a flashback scene of it) I wrote my opinion on this conversation they had on tumblr. I don't think Mugen's necessarily jealous, more like he wants to feel her appreciation but instead he thinks Jin gets it. So he thinks he lost to Jin in another way._

Mugen: You have money to pay the bill, right?

Fuu: …I was supposed to get paid tomorrow. This is all I have *holds up change purse*. Ahhhhh MOU!

Mugen: *slaps forehead* Whatever, I'm starvin' so spend the rest of your money on my meal.

Fuu: But…but then I'll be broke!

Mugen: Too bad, I'm hungry.

Fuu: *glares* Evil…..

_Review and tell me what you think. ^_^ You'll get an imaginary sunflower from yours truly if you do. Imagination is the root to everything_.

_**End of Chapter 2**_


	5. Chapter 3 Doleful Deliverance

_**Chapter 3 Doleful Deliverance**_

{Original Title: The Start of Another Long Journey...Together?}

[A/N]: _YATA! _

_All acronyms of Samurai Champloo episodes have the same letter. Episode 1 Tempestuous Temperaments has two "T"s or Episode 22 Baseball Blues has two "B"s etc. etc. You get the picture. HOWEVER, since this wouldn't make sense in Japanese, there are two different titles. Japanese episode titles were based around kanji. That's one of the reasons why my story has two different titles each chapter, if anyone cared. Plus, this is my writing having been completely revamped, so I changed the titles to fit SamCham after already having titles…_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. If I did, would I _really_ be typing away my Fuugen/Mufuu fantasies and posting them on FanFiction?

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 3 Doleful Deliverance<strong>_

"Yes! We're here!" Fuu beamed at the large and fancy diner she managed to steer Mugen towards. The welcoming structure practically _screamed_ expensive.

As the two entered, the less "refined" of the pair noticed the range of intricate tables, plates and glasses. He scratched his already tousled ebony hair, silently and curiously debating whether they'd sauntered into the right place or not. Regardless of the cost, the dim lighted atmosphere proved perfect for discussing their past year separated. "Not bad, looks pretty damn expensive though." Despite impressing the man who barely spent money…it was strange. Too nice…so much so that somebody with prison tattoos and a glare that could kill didn't seem to fit in right.

"I thought it over and since it's a special occasion, I thought we'd go somewhere nice." was said by a sugary voice. The ex-criminal couldn't fathom why it was such a big deal.

"As long as you're payin', I got no complaints."

A small table towards the back appeared the most attractive, seeing as it was the most inconspicuous, where two menus were already laid out as they sat on the silk cushions. The front of the restaurant gave a full view of the street which allowed the cool, midsummer night air to surge through the lavish diner.

For the first occasion all evening, the duo took time to fully examine one another. As Mugen skimmed the menu (now knowing how to read) the girl sitting across stared in a dazed trance. _The vagabond looked remarkably the same._ He still maintained his wild, unruly hair (…which really means he didn't bother maintaining it at all). Clothes included the same jacket from the day they parted on the sunny crossroads, his and Jin's original outfits having been damaged to the point of unsalvageable repair. Underneath the red haori usually closed in front by a clasp, which was open now because of the heat, she saw an opaque white top with roped crisscrosses much like the one he bore in the past…Though, the x-ed lines traversed to the bottom hem of this new shirt. There were more faded scratches that lined his arms and face. _'How many other scars does he have across his body? Even more than before?'_

A bright hue of pink became visible on her face. _What the hell was she imagining?!_

Mugen glanced up from the menu. Just as fast, Fuu pulled the list of food over her face to cover up the fast spreading blush.

'_Hah?'_

Now, Mugen watched Fuu care-freely humming as she flipped through the collection of food choices with little to no idea on the ideal meal. The unaware Mugen—despite the delay—finally perceived how much Fuu visibly changed. No longer was she as childish as he remembered. Not likely would Mugen tell her. Even he believed she was still flat…although that was a_ little_ bit of an exaggeration. Innocence still radiated from her being. Mugen couldn't figure out where the source of that was.

Fuu looked up from the menu and their eyes met again for the second instance since their surprise reunion. Despite all these changes—one aspect on its own that seemed changeless to time gone by…was her eyes._ Stormy irises against chocolate, a total contrast._

And he was at a loss for words.

A waitress came by shortly thereafter, "Fuu-chan? You're back! You haven't come in for a while, I was beginning to worry." the bubbly waitress leaned down to hug Fuu who gladly returned the gesture. "I'm glad you decided to eat here for the night!"

"Hey, Shizuka-chan! I've been really busy with work and stuff and I'm always broke. And…I lost my job and got evicted today."

"Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that…" She clicked her tongue at the sight of the man, scrolling through the menu. "_Ohhhh_, I see. So, you're moving in with your boyfriend." pointed the woman. She added the gesture of a thumbs up. Mugen's face was one of shock.

"I-It's not like that! This is uh…M-Mugen. He's one of my old bodyguards I mentioned before." _Brazen_ as it was, Fuu waved her hands about sporadically as if to physically cover for Shizuka's unashamed accusation.

"The rude one? Wow he _does _fit your description_ and_ he's handsome! She's talked a lot about you."

"Now I'm wonderin' what the hell you said about me. Better be the good stuff."

"Believe me, it was _very_ good stuff." Now she was _downright teasing_ Fuu with playful winks and giggles. The younger girl cleared her throat excessively loud, suspicious in itself, to prevent Mugen from making any wily comment about what exactly may or may not have been actually said over the course of time. "A-anyway, aren't you supposed to take our order?"

Mugen answered immediately before the waitress even asked, downright starving to death from lack of food for continuous days on end. "I'll have twenty dumplings, an order of tempura, a bowl of beef udon annnnnd…sake."

"Mugen, I'll be broke!"

"You offered to pay. You're fault." the ex-pirate opposed.

Fuu took her order as well, very similar to Mugen's and Shizuka departed to fulfill it while laughing on the two's comical banter and unbelievable appetites.

The girl in pink sighed and looked to the still grinning Mugen. "What."

"Been talkin' about me, huh."

"Not _that_ much…So tell me! What have you been doing this past year?" truthfully curious at the vagrant's unknown whereabouts during their separation. Her fingers toyed with a new garnet earring, the jewels' shapes were remarkably similar to the jade orbs he continued to don; they ironically seemed to match.

He stretched out while yawning. "Traveling, work, women, eating, killing. The usual. I haven't had a decent reason to stay in one town."

…_Women_, huh. Surely not a girlfriend, that wasn't in his nature_. 'Like he'd ever settle down.'_ "Well…I traveled for a while too. Then I started working for that _old hag_ at the teahouse. It seems like our lives just went back to the way they were before our journey started…"

_"_Seems like it. Ya can't teach an old dog new tricks." He then propped an elbow on the table while lazily interlocking inked blue ankles underneath the low set table; a fairly improper sitting position.

"Well, we're not old dummy. You and Jin just _act _old."

"Oi, At least I don't act like a whiny brat all the time." Just to go along with it, Fuu stuck her tongue out feigning immaturity. " 'Sides, we all know Four-Eyes is the old man."

"But I bet Jin wouldn't even disagree either!" came a sudden eruption of laughter from the petite girl.

"Yeah, he'd be like "_hmm_" or "_ah_". That stupid bastard wouldn't even care 'cause it's the truth." Mugen put his hand under his chin, and pretended to fix invisible glasses, imitating the samurai's monotone voice and overly proper demeanor. Resulting, in Fuu snorting hysterically, reached over to lightly smack the shrewd male's arm. Were they really having this decent of a conversation, talking, getting along, and laughing at another's expense…? It was almost surreal to the reminiscent girl.

"It's great. _This _is great. I just, I just can't believe you _found_ me here. Crazy coincidence, huh?"

_Coincidence,_ he guffawed. "Or just plain ol' fate."

"_You_; believing in _fate_? Never thought I'd see the day." Fuu smiled like she was the most clever girl in the world, before averting her view to look if Shizuka would get them some drinks…since she'd forgotten to ask for water. "You always said it was just by chance. Did _big, bad Mugen_ actually have a change of heart?"

"Ah, shut up. I didn't believe in it before. Guess I'm startin' to."

"Why?"

"Don't know. Maybe I ain't the same since ya last saw me." he snorted.

"Nah, you're pretty much the same so far."

"Is that supposed ta' be good or bad?"

Her smile was so sincere… "Hmm…I'd say both."

As their giggling died down, simmering over with the other overly quieted discussions of the more prudish people eating here, the ronin's damaged glasses were evoked from within her kimono once more. "If only Jin were around, this would be the perfect reunion…I have to give these back. It means a lot."

His stony gaze flickered to the windows, to the travelers who passed each other—saying brief hellos and leaving long goodbyes—all as they continued down the paved roads they chose to tread.

Then he asked, "…Are you gonna go look for him?"

"Maybe I will."

"…"

* * *

><p>After about twenty more minutes of sharing stories of their recent journeys and retelling moments of the one they spent together, Shizuka returned, transporting in her arms, the several overflowing plates of food.<p>

"Enjoy, you two."

"Itadakimasu! Ah! Mugen, stop eating so fast! You might burn yourself." By the time Fuu picked up the chopsticks, the uncouth male already started shoveling food between his jaws. Muffled out, was something about how she should shut up and that he'd been waiting far too long for a decent, much needed meal through mouthfuls of fried tempura. He continued to eat, gobbling down everything available thing he could swallow at a time. She shook her head and exhaled. _'It's been a year and he's still the same ol' Mugen. In a way…I'm glad for that.' _They ate in silence for a time. Heaven for once, it was!

They had no clue that their "heavenly meal" would unexpectedly be interrupted…

Out of the blue, the girl also devouring all food in sight froze; the chopsticks she held clattered to the oriental tabletop with several clicks of wood on wood. Raising an eyebrow at her astonishment, Mugen turned around to see what she was so intently gaping at. "Shit…" the phrase rose from his still chewing maw.

At least ten samurai belonging to Edo's domain approached, Tadaaki Shinji and the other pair trailing a short distance behind. Most likely they were the noble's guards, which resembled an intimidating wall of defense to any with the guts to oppose his commands. They still seemed in pain and Fuu pitied them to a certain degree, knowing rather well what Mugen can be capable of even without using any weapon.

The one in front made an announcement. The customers didn't dare to utter a word.

"Attention! We are currently searching for a vagrant in his early twenties. He's about 5'11, tan and has prison tattoos. His red and gray outfit and odd sword are strange so he shouldn't be too hard to find. We're also trying to find a 16 to 17 year old woman in a pink kimono. She has brown hair and is about 5'3 to 5'4. If you see either of the two, please report. There's a ransom on their heads and it will be greatly appreciated." A few stuck-up businessmen eyed the people matching that exact distinctive description in the corner. Whispers ignited in no time.

Fortunately the group of crested sword-masters didn't spot_ them_ just yet but they made no reluctance in confronting any who could provide their sought information; they were going to be detected sooner than later.

Mugen took this short opportunity to plan a course of action.

"Can you run?" he whispered.

"What?"

"I asked if you can _run_." This time Mugen snarled, annoyed how she had to question _everything _when they held such limited time.

She looked back completely mystified. "I…I guess. Wait, what about you?!"

"I'll be fine. There should be an exit in the back."

"But Mugen, you'll…" The idea of her just up and_ leaving_ without him…wasn't going down well with her. Even though she had witnessed his prowess in battle countless instances of their intertwined past, Fuu regardless of that took his skills and proficiencies with a blade for granted. He had survived through hell and back, saw death literally, and must have been injured over a thousand and one times. Nevertheless, her fret was well justified because Mugen was after all, _human_. All of this—_enough as it was_—even then was added by a new fear beginning to shadow her already crumbling resolve.

_What if Mugen left?_

Not only would Fuu be in the dark of his survival. No—that wasn't all.

This could be his chance to stride on away and not come back for the girl who escaped. She was intent on being able to say an official farewell if he so shall. In all honesty, it wasn't unlikely for Mugen to vanish without any regard of them seeing each other again. He'd probably have before, if not for her pulling the whole _sunflower samurai promise_ guilt trip.

She didn't want that.

"Stop questionin' me, damn! How many times have I told you I'd be _fine_? I'll create a scene and you run. Simple. Just don't get caught, clumsy broad." Small, fragile hands reached over to hold his own calloused ones, the strange contact from this female making Mugen jump.

"Promise you'll come find me then." Her stare was absolutely serious and almost…desperate.

"We both know I'm the wrong guy you'd want to keep promises."

"Please promise."

"Tch. I don't have to promise you nothin'. I'll just beat em' and-" his sentence was cut off by a plea.

"I'm not only afraid you'll be put in danger! I don't want you to…j-just forget it. _Please_. Keep this one. That's all I'm asking of you." The words were more a demand than anything else.

_'What the hell is she so scared of? I've fought way worse guys than this.'_ He gestured once towards the door before their hands parted, getting up concurrently, as if hitting the same note on two separate instruments."Fine. Whatever. Now go, _run_." She nodded one last time and turned away to the direction of her exit.

"You dumbass. You really think I'll leave after all the times I came back for your ass?" The girl already traversed halfway to the door by now…failed to hear.

Running past the waitress, Fuu stopped and handed Shizuka all the money she had, including a substantial tip surely to cover for her unexplained departure. "Please don't say anything. I have to leave out the back exit." And then…Fuu stopped… "…I…I'm sorry I couldn't have been a better friend these last few months. I guess I always missed something else. Adventure…and my old friends too."

Shizuka's eyes widened briefly…then sadly at realizing this may be a final send-off; though, no questions were needed as she gently smiled and guided the younger woman to the kitchen's exit. "No, it's fine. And…good luck, Fuu-chan."

She took off,; having gone simply with what little faith she still managed to carry for the man left behind. Pink blended into the rainbow of people with ease, another shade of a person merging into the usual nightly bustle. Translucence fell from the girl's eyes and she relentlessly wiped the unplanned trails away with a downy sleeve. _'You better come back…'_

Back at the classy restaurant, Mugen approached an impressive number of samurai. He purposely bumped into one of them.

"Hey! Watch where you're going." At closer inspection at the discourteous man, Shinji's assigned guardsmen prepared to draw their katana at the next minor movement coming from their target. "You! You're the man! You attacked Shinji Tadaaki at the teahouse!" one exclaimed.

Mugen picked at his ear as if he wasn't interested. "And? What's your point?"

"You're coming with us!"

The bad-mannered vagrant grinned wickedly. "Well the problem is, I don't respond too well to bein' commanded."

"Then you'll just die here!" another impatient samurai, years younger than the first lunged promptly forward. Mugen even swifter, ducked and knocked the guy down with a sweeping low kick that tumbled the foe to the unwelcoming, uncarpeted restaurant flooring. Multiple swung at him this time, which Mugen effortlessly avoided. He grabbed a tall samurai's arm and twisted it so his reversed blade sliced his own side. The man collapsed in pain, bleeding profusely. "You son of a bitch!" some screamed as they tried to help their wounded companion. Customers were dashing madly in fits of overt hysteria for the door to get past the samurai and escape the sudden bloodshed, creating a scene of panic to frame this soon to be battle.

"I didn't wanna have to do this but I'll enjoy it anyway. Assholes like you really have this way of pissin' me off." Mugen removed his sword from the scabbard on his back. Honestly he liked the old tsurugi better; it aided well against samurai swords not prone to blocking or getting stuck on the curved hand guard. Sadly, Jin's beloved katana along with his own custom sword were together cracked in half on impact. Now he carried a foreign blade that the short aging man on the island off of Nagasaki gave him. Most likely, it belonged to Fuu's father, who—being a devout Christian—held strong ties to Europe. _At least it cut._ No need to complain.

Examining the sharpened edge briefly, he pointed it directly to the entire group and slashed downward in a flagrant and unreserved taunt. "Come on! All of you!" There was the faintest glint of a thoroughly excited fire in his eyes.

They rushed at him. The wanted man managed to dash off and slash at their unarmored limbs. Another arose from behind. Easily rotating around and moving behind the bewildered guard's back, the heavy sword ripped through his stomach and was twisted. Spurts of blood stained tables until the corpse crashed unto one. Surroundings were to lethal advantage. Hot tea and chinaware were thrown point blank, a distraction while bursts of red flipped around the diner until more cadavers stacked. None of the samurai could understand his actions! One minute he was slashing straightforward, another was spinning and kicking and the more Mugen swung, the more carcasses would fall to the floor. Shinji and the two already fled the bloody scene. Unlucky though, more bodyguards had shown up to take down the unstoppable man in red. '_Damn, there's too many of them. I need to get outta here.'_

_Then he remembered that stupid promise. _

'_Shit!' _He backed away from a warrior who almost landed a deadly wound to his chest. It was hard to concentrate on fighting while worrying about how to get away_ and_ find someone in the process. Three more lunged instantaneously with horizontal swings, Mugen dropping low to the ground before spinning on his back; his well-known windmill kick that caused their bodies to crumple in three directions.

'_That stupid bitch!' _More were pushed back at the entrance, cutting ligaments blindly on the way to then run as fast as his geta would tolerate. About twenty men were pursuing him and more were impending to capture the sprinter. "Stop!" Came to no one's surprise Mugen failed to acknowledge their order. The crowds of people camouflaged his position, but the Tadaaki hired henchmen were getting closer. He kept going.

* * *

><p>To avoid any arousal of suspicion, the currently sought after woman kept her head low, following the paths of whatever individuals walked ahead. <em>'Where is he?! What if they…' <em>Farther away she found herself, the more her feet urged her body to go back…

Some yards away she saw the group combing the crowds in search of two. Gasping, Fuu hastened herself, approaching the edges of the streets closer to the buildings. Pursuers were gaining on the distance as she panicked, stumbling along other citizens' feet, who only gave back complaints and harsh shoves.

She backed into a shrouded alley. Resilient stenches of garbage and fresh paint of tagging hooligans repelled each other, permeating from the blackened and forgotten corners of the junk filled corridor._ If caught…it was all over. _

Suddenly, a stout hand from behind dragged the unsuspecting girl's arm into the lone passage and another covered her open mouth. Fuu's whole body froze. Her eyes widened.

They found her.

_'No!' _Fuu was ready to scream and thrash her way to freedom, for in no way would she go without a decent fight— being a lesson Mugen taught well. Fear began to take over as much as she was scared to death and submitting easily to it, but the_ immediate_ instinct—the same instinct that could _potentially_ save her life—was to struggle back_. 'NO!'_ Her hair stood on end, hands balled into fists. She was not giving up this easily! This is-

Right at the moment where she was to resist her assailant, the palm on her mouth loosened… And a very familiar voice whispered against her.

"_Relax_ girlie. It's only me."

Her back fell with relief…into the ryukyuan ex-pirate's chest. Several of Shinji's bodyguards ran past the hidden alley, failing to acknowledge within their frenzied search...two concealed amid the dark. Fuu allowed herself to release a long breath she'd been holding in "Mugen..." closing her eyes as she spoke the words, a hammering from the adrenaline rush even Mugen could feel began to subside in her chest. When it disappeared she turned around and shoved his shoulder. "You idiot, you scared me!"

"Next time, don't be so easy to grab then. Come on. We gotta get outta' here." Mugen pulled on the thin arm he already held. They decided on heading down the narrow passage farther and farther away from the packed street, the buildings whirling by so fast as the unlucky fools of a pair jogged down the side alleys and avenues of the huge city. They were in a maze…and they were the mice scurrying for freedom. Hiding against walls and avoiding the many guards was a challenge.

Not once did Mugen let go of her forearm.

"I-I didn't think…you'd really come back." she panted, completely out of breath since he gave no thought into forcefully pulling her to match his own hasted sprints.

A quarter of Mugen didn't know why he was doing shit like this again, things he hated, things he'd much rather replace with activities not related to saving someone _knowing_ there was no reward involved to greet his chivalrous acts. His grin however, was sly. "Yeah well, you would've gotten killed without me. Thank me later."

While half of him knew full well...that he wasn't gonna let her die.

* * *

><p>At the hill they marched up was where Mugen finally noticed how long he'd been gripping her limb and quickly broke off the contact.<p>

Fuu stopped and looked back from the top of the mound. "I don't know what to do. There's nowhere for me to go now…" Transient winds carried traces of summer's scent past the girl overlooking the populated city. It served as her home for a time, a short time but a time nonetheless; something she would soon have to forget again.

There was…the haunting sound of clogs ambling past her to a trade route north west. Not for a second did the steps hesitate or stop and wait for the girl. She turned, and high-spirited enthusiasm over escaping Edo instantly sank to nonexistence at the sight. '_I guess this is it, huh.' _Her reluctant hands reached into the pleats of her kimono to remove the red tanto and return it.

To it's true owner.

She couldn't hold him back. Like the unwanted shackle tugging a feral hound, the sunflower samurai's daughter had been little more than a burden to Mugen and Jin since the beginning; an obvious truth she no longer could deny.

No doubt he would say the cruel words—that he was done saving her, that he wasn't her bodyguard anymore, that her tagging along was the biggest and most _annoying _nuisance he'd ever been forced to bear— so of course she wouldn't dare ask if she may accompany him. Neither could her unscrupulous side think of a coherent and clever trick, bet or bribe to get Mugen's consent on traveling teamwork. _Like a coin toss, so clearly a trick. _Fuu's ideas had altogether run dry. And without him…or Jin, who did she really have left?

"H-hey. What if we…made a bet and…and if I win…umm…" she was mumbling out her last resort plan to herself if there was a chance to not return the tanto, anything! He couldn't hear her at all. It wouldn't be fair. It'd be wrong.

So she gave up...

...never expecting Mugen to stop…and wait. "OI! The hell are you doing standing there with your mouth hangin' open? Seeing as how things are, you can't go back."

"Yeah…"

"So where are you plannin' on going on your own?" Mugen asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"I…haven't really given that much thought yet." Oh yes she had; _all too much_…

"Then let's go already."

While Mugen again started walking, Fuu hadn't moved an inch... Her heart skipped a beat.

"Wha-But…where?"

" Didn't you say somethin' 'bout finding Four-Eyes? Who knows where the nerdy bastard went. Didn't you want a reunion with all of us?"

"Find Jin? W-with _YOU_?"

"_Noooo_, with the _emperor of Japan_! Who else?! It's either you're comin' with me or going on your own. Your choice, and be quick about it." When she wasn't complaining, her company was never too bad. Conversations never dwindled to boring…even when they argued.

There was thoroughly confused look on her face. "So…you're saying you want to go find Jin…with me? Are you serious?!"

But Mugen's voice was real, the impatience,_ ironically_ in the next words proved it was he who made that very suggestion.

"Shut up before I change my mind. I could just leave you here y'know."

"Well I…I mean…if you're okay with it." Fuu dashed to him then and smiled vibrantly. This was…amazing. This was beyond exciting! Most of all, it was real. Still baffled, she looked up at the man at her side with nothing less of gratitude, even though he kept his eyes forward to avoid looking back at her. "If we really travel together, this might take a lot longer than you think. You're_ really _going to help me?"

"Got nothin' better to do. Besides, without me you'd get raped or somethin'." Mugen shot another…insult?

"You idiot, I can handle myself perfectly fine."

"_Suuure_ you can."

The brunette and the raven haired man ambled down the long road, Fuu lagging behind just a few steps to watch him _truly_ ahead of her. Like the good ol' days of seasons past… The sun raised on the eastern horizon's border, lighting up the distant land, a greeting of the coming dawn. They'd been fleeing most of the night. It was nice to unwind in the surprising company of each other…

Well, that is until—

"HEY! THEY'RE THIS WAY! HOLD IT! YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!"

"Damn…" her newest…well, _renewed_ companion looked far off, back to Edo at the approaching guards just past the partitions surrounding the capitol and began running.

"Wait! Eah!" Just as fast, Fuu took off, tripping on her partially ripping sandal. _Like that time…_

Now their journey to find Jin, or the "Four-Eyed" samurai as Mugen called him…would begin from then on.

_**~The End… PSYCHE! To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _Only the beginning. There will be A LOT to come. Bear with me, please…?_

**Thumbs up gesture**_- _When Shizuka gave Fuu a thumbs up gesture about moving in with her "boyfriend" Mugen, it has a double meaning. She's saying it's a good idea, but a "thumbs up" in Japanese culture can also mean "boyfriend".

Mugen: So…where exactly are we goin'?

Fuu: …This was your idea, you should know.

Mugen: Okay, let's go that way! *points in random direction*

Fuu: Mugen! You can't just point in random directions! We'll get lost!

Mugen: Shaddup, I'm thinking.

Fuu: *sigh* Jin was always the one who knew where to go. We don't even have a map!

_Mugen's outfit is the one from the last episode in the credits. But he sometimes unclasps the white knot in the front and an undershirt like his old one is visible. The sword he has is also from the last episode, a slightly smaller than normal European claymore (...I think…Correct me if it's not a claymore please.) Fuu's new outfit was described in Chapter 1._

_Fuu actually has those red earrings like Mugen's turquoise ones in the manga…Hmm…_

_I hope you enjoyed XD Comedy will ensue in the chapter to come…but I'm not really funny so…ahahahahah. O_o Please review! I'm like Momo with a sunflower seed when it comes to reviews. Until Chapter 4, byeeeee ^_^_

_**End of Chapter 3**_


	6. Chapter 4 Intermission of the Imprudent

_**Chapter 4 Intermission of the Imprudent**_

{Original Title: No Money Means No Food…Arguments Ensue}

[A/N]: _Genki desu ka? Here's the first chapter of Fuu and Mugen's journey. In truth, it's pretty random. But I imagine they'd do some random stuff along the way._

_One of my readers/reviewer _**fuusunshine **_made a fan art of chapter 4! Check out her various works from all different genres on Deviantart, including Samurai Champloo! She's also _**fuusunshine**_ on Deviantart. ^.^ I feel so flattered!_

_Did anyone notice Momo's gender was never confirmed in the show? I described Momo as male in here…but I guess we'll never really know the truth…O_o _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. If I did, Momo would find another flying squirrel and have a billion babies that attack Mugen.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 4 Intermission of the Imprudent<strong>_

It was _soooooooo_ hot! Blinding rays of the afternoon sun, humidity, lack of water, lack of food and fatigue were weighing heavy on the travelers. _Especially_ the food part. Seemed likely the blistering sun was gladly laughing at the deprived duo, predominantly Fuu—who was fully ready to pass out at any given moment. The nearest town was _miles upon miles_ away. The only person they'd seen traverse the same road was a traveling merchant selling onigiri. They could only afford three rice balls as a last resort…since Fuu spent all of her well-earned savings on the extravagant meal for Mugen and herself.

Two days of nonstop hiking, sleeping only a few hours outside, Fuu was _officially_ fed up. It's been months since she walked such great distances…she was out of season.

"Damn, you're outta shape girl. You sure you don't wanna give up and _turn back_?" he taunted from several feet ahead.

"Like I can_ now_ after you dragged me all the way out here!"

Cradling her moaning stomach, ignoring the brute, her riled gaze settled on a rock under an arid willow tree veiled in the cool shade. _Perfect. __Time to…stretch out._

She propped herself on the boulder, beginning to take out their midday lunch compacted in a dispensable bento box (more like a snack). "Come on, Mugen. Aren't you hungry too?" patting a spot next to her. The food was unraveled on her lap while Mugen reluctantly made way to the female.

Both travelers regarded the tiny quantity of provisions they owned with dissatisfaction. She paused. Unfortunately the amount was an _odd _number tidily placed upon the unraveled bamboo leaves. "What are ya waiting for? Let's eat then." Impatient; Mugen who didn't bother to take up the offer to sit beside her, reached over to grab one.

Halted…he became when Fuu swatted his hand away.

"…There are three." she spoke in a seemingly eerie voice, indicating the apparent.

"Well, obviously we share then."

Maybe for the average person this was an entirely _normal and everyday_ statement. Coming from this specific being called _Mugen_, was far more unheard of—even more unheard of than Jin giving up his prized samurai swords willingly_! 'What the heck? Mugen wants to share? He never shared anything. We always fight to the death over food! He…he really did change...'_ astounded, Fuu privately smiled that Mugen had an unknown nice side to his _("I'll kill you if you look at me funny"__) _exterior. "Alright, I'll split the last one in hal-HEY!"

…He'd snagged two from the gullible woman's lap.

Mugen share? _Yeah, right._

"What are ya yelling about now?!"

"We're supposed to share!" exclaimed Fuu rather sassily, crossing her arms over her chest, a common physical reaction when Mugen's being his typical, aggravating self. Accompanied by it, was her infamous pout.

_This all seemed rather familiar…_

So Mugen raised his voice in frustration to Fuu's whiny determination. "We _are_ sharin' you dumb broad! You get one, I get two. Any questions?"

And she protested "What the hell! Why do you get two then?!"

Yup, _definitely familiar_.

"Because I can." he answered simply, only to be returned with another incredulous glare from the totally blown away Fuu. She mentally slapped herself for not expecting this retort sooner… Not only that… If she heard correctly, when she originally said there were three triangular snacks, he said they would_ obviously_ share… That must've meant that if there were two instead of three, he would've eaten both anyway!

"Sharing isn't one person getting more than the other. We have to split them evenly!" _Déjà vu at its finest_. After the copious occasions they'd argued in the past over the much desired, _elusive food_, one would assume these two conflicting individuals would have drawn closer to an ultimatum by now.

Yeah, well…that was definitely_not_the case.

"First of all, I'm older, second I'm bigger, and third, you owe me!"

"You're only older by like _four _years, we both know _I_ eat more than _you _and I don't owe you anything!"

"Please explain the one hundred dango from two years ago then. That last meal don't count for shit, you offered. And I'm pretty damn sure that there was a lot of other times I saved ya, you ungrateful little bitch!"

He'd scoffed and continued to march away, tossing one within his mouth. And surprisingly, for the first time the whiny broad as he thought of her, possessed nothing to use as a verbal riposte…

Without him, she'd be dead. Probably would've never gone on the journey to find her father to begin with too… It was a wonder why it had to be _Mugen_ of all people to find her held inside trouble's grip, in a makeshift teahouse. Perhaps it truly was fated… how it all began with a thoughtless flick of a pinwheel, a request for simple water and a deal… A debt for one hundred dango she never repaid. Who knew she could get so attached from a chance encounter years ago. She sure didn't know.

"Look, _I'm sorry_. You've done a lot for me and _I'm_ being stupid arguing over a stupid rice ball. Just take both then…"

Not expecting her sudden benevolence, Mugen kept up the mean responses, probably because her apology wasn't registered or he didn't care either way... "Tch. Other women would have done _a lot_ more for me in return for the things I've done for you, if ya know what I mean." The lewd statement made Fuu's cheeks turn as red as Mugen's haori.

"Th-That's…"

"Not like I'd want_ your_ flat, scrawny body anyway."

_Wrong_ choice of words.

"…..YOU IDIOT! Don't you dare eat that rice ball!" she lunged from her sitting position in less than a millisecond (not that he had time to count), seizing the crimson cloth on his arm in a vise like hold.

"Try and stop me." Yet again, _mocking her_ while placing the seaweed wrapped rice to his lips.

"Oh no you don't! AH!" In a foolish effort to seize the man's distant hand, the graceless girl's eyes widened as she tripped into him and the quarrelsome pair crashed to the ground in an ungainly heap of swears and curses. "OW! What the fuck! Can't you go one day without bein' so goddamn clumsy?!" Having fallen back first, the vagrant rubbed his hurting head that made a painful impact with the abrasive dirt.

"Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you would share!" she reached for the rice ball but he was much taller. Trying to knock her off was harder than he first estimated. Although not at all heavy, her whole body pinned him down; in the meantime she attempted to nab it back.

"You just said I can have it! Besides, it's only a rice ball!" he frowned, still struggling to keep the onigiri away from the angered girl.

"It's not about the rice ball now! It's the principle."

"What _principle, _what a _fatass_ you are?!"

"I have to deal with YOU so I think it all evens out!"

"You're so damn stubborn all the time!...uh…" …A very startled Mugen suddenly ceased pushing her off and stared at the girl, who sat atop his lower abdomen in an unquestionably suggestive position.

"Stubborn? YOU'RE the most stubborn person I know! ...Eh?" her eyes bored into tempestuous orbs and a bronzed face which were several centimeters away. They finally realized the compromising arrangement they were in, in the middle of a windswept field of grass—the sun continuing to beat down on them cripplingly, fluffy white clouds doing little to foil the light.

If they were in a situation like this on their last journey…Jin would usually appear, shaking his head and giving a small "Hmm" before walking away. He wouldn't really care_ what_ they were doing, misunderstanding or not. But Jin wasn't around anymore. They'd have to figure out this predicament by themselves.

Her one palm remained atop his sweaty, defined chest as if it were glued and her other…still reaching for the rice ball in his. Their noses were in an extremely close proximity and the two had no idea what the hell to do. Although Fuu and Mugen tried to open their mouths to speak, throats deathly dry, no words could find the way to be formed, maybe from dehydration…or shock. Droplets of perspiration trickled from Mugen's brow, all the way down the span of his neck at an almost deliberately slow rate. Mugen observed how Fuu's chocolate hair messily cohered to the sides of her sticky face, only making the appearance more pure.

Neither moved, just kept their eyes locked intensively.

He was about to make a suggestive joke. She was about to bitch him out for it. Unbeknownst to the pair…a certain flying squirrel was sneaking out of Fuu's flowing sleeve draped on the charring meadow.

The unnoticed small creature scampered towards the open fist, smelled the delectable food and bit the ex-criminal's finger remarkably hard.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" Mugen yelped, finally snapped out of his daze. The snack tumbled to the ground, to be quickly taken by a thoroughly accomplished Momo. "You little bastard! Get off me!" Giving Fuu one last push, Mugen jumped to clogged feet and began chasing after the tiny fur ball in circles.

"That's what you get Mugen." she laughed, dusting off her pink kimono. She made sure to run back to the rock, eating her own onigiri before Mugen would notice. Left behind, was a faint tinge of red speckling her cheeks from the moment before, but the criminal didn't bother to notice nor had the time. There was a new current objective: obliterate Momo from the face of the earth!

"You won't be laughin' when that little rat of yours is roastin' on a stick! How the hell is that thing still alive anyway?!" This wasn't the first stunt the sly animal pulled to piss him off. There was the time Momo landed smack dab on his face, waking him from a well needed sleep in the past. It was like the dwarf thing purposely fucked with him just to irritate Mugen for fun.

Fuu grabbed his shoulder. "Will you _calm down_? And Momo isn't a rat, he's a flying squirrel and flying squirrels can live up to five years, maybe more."

Curling lips in disdain and shrugging her away, Mugen decided to plot his revenge on the conniving, pint-sized animal later.

* * *

><p>Now there was even <em>more<em> to complain about. She was still hungry, and her feet were _killing_ her! Mugen advanced further ahead, continuing the hunt through the lush woodland surroundings for any trace of the miniature rodent. Fuu lumbered behind, just when she believed she couldn't walk any slower, her feet shut down and dragged, not caring that there was already a significant amount of distance between them. That's what she needed! He didn't notice the thoroughly exhausted Fuu crouch to the ground under another spot of shadows and almost collapse.

_'So tired…Huh?'_

Not hearing the footsteps trudging along the soil filled road behind, Mugen finally turned back to see a fixated Fuu ogling a lofty tree leaning overhead, its weathered branches sagging to one side and the bark peeling away.

"What are you doin' now? C'mon! We're never gonna get anywhere with all your dilly dallying." His irritated voice was ignored by the fixated Fuu examining what was apparently in the entanglements of dehydrated leaves. "Look up. There are nashi pears up there." she signified above.

A loud gurgling stomach was apparent at the mere mention of food; yes he was still pretty frickin' hungry too. Running back and easily jumping almost a superhuman height, reaching a high branch, Mugen used his strong upper body to pull himself up. The exasperated girl watched the vagabond beginning to leisurely eat the abundant fruit that hung there. _'How the hell does he jump that high?!'_

Climbing trees and jumping were essential skills he had acquired as a young boy. It was a tactic to avoid the many aggressive exiled criminals that wandered the island and also a way to get food. Sadly, his whole childhood consisted of survival of the fittest. When he was too young and incapable to kill someone, he'd fled the constant bloodshed always seeming to catch up. That didn't last long_, the running_; he grew up fast and learned to never trust a soul. The once, juvenile Mugen realized that if you have to face hell head on, fight back with all the strength you've got. Being able to battle without fear, without hesitation, or regret was now the best talent he was entitled to possessing.

"Whatsa matter? Why don't you come up here too?" Always the taunts! It pissed her off, that wry grin painting tanned features.

Some rotten twigs were thrown his way, missing the sole cause of her infuriation by a long-shot."Sh-shut up…I'm not an ugly baboon like _you_. I can't jump that high…or…or climb trees."

"Seems like you can't do nothin' without me." Giving another sly smile, he clutched the branch with his legs and hung his lengthy arms down almost touching her.

"What are you doing…" Back faced to him, she huffed with a hint of annoyance on the lips.

"Helpin' you, _dumbass_. Now grab my hands and I'll pull you up."

Mugen was upside down and Fuu had no clue how it would be possible to haul up her and himself up with only his legs as support! Totally convinced that he'd fail at lifting her, she stalked over, jumped up and reached her arms towards him. Well, her accusation proved wrong. He easily caught her and pulled the two up the tree with only his leg muscles. She reached for the branch and settled herself down, watching Mugen swing himself on as well.

_'I always take his strength for granted.'_

Removing the claymore out of its leather scabbard, Mugen reached upwards and cut a few fruit from the stems overhead. A few fell and he handed them to Fuu—who mumbled a small "Thanks."—all complaints seeming to simply melt away when biting into the juicy pear. Why exactly did they argue, anyway?

What came by was the slightest breeze ruffling the tree leaves lightly, the caressing wind feeling amazingly soothing against their overheated skin.

"Hey, I...I'm glad you came along." Fuu began.

He didn't answer, just continued to take bites out of the yellowy fruit as Fuu dangled her legs off the branch and swung them casually, not seeing his own baffled expression. The pear she held seemed much more fascinating as she looked down. Strands of auburn covering the slightest of smiles.

She turned to look at him again. "So, why did you decide to go, anyway?" Her question caught Mugen off guard as he shrugged watching the orange orb; the sun, setting as minutes would undoubtedly pass.

"'Cause without me, you'd get hurt."

Giggling at that, she finally turned her gaze to his expression carved in cold stone. "That's true…but...I don't understand why you'd want to protect me. It's not like you still have a promise to keep. You even said you weren't very good with promises."

"There is no promise, and I _ain't _good with 'em."

There was a pause.

"So then…"

"Look girl," He looked directly at her. "I'm _through_ with being your damn bodyguard so don't go expectin' me to whisk ya out of danger _all_ the time… It was a onetime thing after this last stunt you pulled. I just thought that it'd be…" Fuu tilted her head sadly…yet still expectedly waiting for any hint of a more compassionate reply with snooping wonder, skimming along the branch closer to hear the response.

"I just… It'd be like…"

Mugen darted his gaze away from her awaiting eyes. Looking downward, he caught a glimpse of minor movement. _'Wait…is that an animal?'_

At closer inspection, Mugen witnessed Momo standing on his hind legs, watching them. Momo sniffed the air cautiously, squeaked and glided away when he was spotted by a very angry pirate. Mugen's immediate reaction was quickly descending from the tree onto sturdy geta and pursuing after the creature. "Found the lil' runt!"

"Hey! Mugen, wait! You didn't answer my…question…" her voice trailed off as he vanished behind the tree line. She made a face. _'That jerk…Oh crap…how do I get down?'_

Sprinting past the trees and forestry background, Mugen found Momo crawling on the earth straight ahead. _'YES. Found the little fucker.'_Sneaking ever so slowly behind the unaware squirrel, Mugen pounced on Momo and received a shrill squeal of protest as his fingers grabbed the scruff of his neck and evilly grinned at the animal. "You caused me a lot of trouble back there. Time to pay up."

Momo merely stared back, lifting his head snootily and flicked his tail. He squeaked, daring Mugen with a translation that said "Come at me bro, I _dare _you." …That's how Mugen interpreted it anyway…

Too bad he had no clue of what Momo was capable of.

In a matter of seconds, Momo pulled himself away from his would be hunter's grasp, and landed on the panicky face of the vagrant with a violent frenzy of scratches and bites (unbeknownst to the animal, who really just wanted to cling to Mugen's face and accidentally scratched in the course of the hug).

Fuu overheard some yelling in the distance _'Oh boy...'_

"Gmfrah! Geff fruf!" he bellowed through mouthfuls of flying squirrel fur. Mugen fell to the ground, dreadfully trying to pull away from the wild (tame) animal that was intent on ripping his nose off! (snuggle his nose). Momo squeaked angrily (cutely), not letting go. He was suffocating underneath the animal! The battle consisted of Mugen rolling in the dirt trying to get Momo off…while Momo _refused_ to.

NEVER threaten a flying squirrel. You will come to regret it.

* * *

><p>….Moments later, the warrior returned from what seemed to have ended up as a losing brawl.<p>

'_Son of a…'_ he mumbled, fuming to have lost to a flying squirrel of all things! If it was a rabid dog_ fine_, but a little itty bitty flying squirrel? He'd _never_ hear the end of it.

As soon as Fuu saw Mugen returning, she couldn't hold back the explosive laughter that rebounded through the forest pathway they were in. She received a sharpened glare back, as he rubbed the scratches on his face in complete revulsion—and his clothes and face were dirty, hair in more disarray than it usually was (if that were indeed possible). "Shut up. Your pet rat is fuckin' psycho."A man who may have killed hundreds of people couldn't take down a little _squirrel_. This only fueled her laughter to incredible heights, which also disconcerted his mood further.

Though seeing Fuu still stuck high in the tree, Mugen decided to avert the attention from his own embarrassing loss. "Wait…What are you still doin' up there?"

…She stopped laughing, twiddling her fingers as she stared at the seemingly far away earth below. "I don't know how to get down…"

" 'The hell you mean?! Jump!"

"I'll hurt myself… Last time I fell from a tree branch, I broke my ankle!"

The rugged ex-criminal gawked at her and slapped his forehead in irritation. Never had he ever worried about something like getting hurt. However, Mugen understood that she was after all _a girl _and females were delicate, or some other bullshit like that; though he never expected her reason for this fear. "It…It was right after my father left when I was little and I ran away, climbed a tree and just sat and cried. …Well, I ended up falling and my mother couldn't find me for hours. So…I practically crawled all the way home."

He outstretched his arms towards her. "_I'll_ catch you this time then."

"Are you _crazy_?! No!"

"Stop freakin' out, woman! I could just leave you here and go on my merry way. But being the super awesome guy I am, I'm willin' to help. We've gotta leave _sometime,_ y'know." That conceited smirk only made him seem more of the trickster he truly was.

"NO! I can't jump! I-I'm scared of heights! And, you might not catch me…" she still argued.

"Oh _please_. Quit bein' such a wimp and jump. It's not even that high." She vigorously shook her head, clinging to the trunk of the tree. Sighing one last time he decided to be a little less irritating and actually make an effort to help.

"…Have some faith in me will ya?"

_Those same words triggered a buried memory like a rock to Fuu's head._

The island, being held hostage, and Mugen… Mugen came back for her at the instant where she doubted he'd ever appear. _Doubted_ the one who had always been there, and here she was—hesitant in her faith of him again for something simple.

"If you don't catch me, you'll regret it later. _I swear_." Gritting her teeth, Fuu shut her eyes tightly, stood up and let her body fall from the branch. Expecting to hit the hard ground and hurt her leg, she was surprised when she made an impact with the main object of her constant infuriation; _warm_.

* * *

><p><em>"But…Mugen, you'll-"<em>

_"I ain't gonna die. Have some faith in me will ya?"_

_No. She wasn't leaving without him. She wouldn't!_

_"Mugen…"_

* * *

><p>"Yo, you can let go now."<p>

Opening her eyes, Fuu quickly snapped out of her recollections and pushed away from their previous embrace. "S-sorry! I just remembered something from before…"

Looking up caused a suppressed giggle, as she pondered over the warrior's disarrayed appearance after the confrontation with Momo. "You keep calling Momo a rat, while you don't look far from a rat yourself."

With both hands, she attempted to (fix?) his disheveled dark hair. Her fragile hand reached to dab away the dirt on his face. "Shaddup." He slightly flinched back with the reply when she traced a finger against an almost unnoticeable scar in the shape of claws from a year ago, the outlines faded by time…but a remnant never fully erased. _The scar he received when he was coming to save her._

Quickly retreating her fingers from where they grazed, she continued to brush off the dust on his haori. When she deemed his appearance satisfactory, she gave a light shove and grinned.

"Well then, we better get moving! We need to get to the next town before dark. I_ reaaaally_ want a _bathhhh_." she whined overly done.

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

Watching Fuu inelegantly jog ahead in those infuriating little sandals, her kimono sleeves floating behind—he ignored the slight rise of his pulse as best he could. '_What the fuck is up with that brat?'_

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _There was a small reference to the OST single, "Stretch Out". It fits well for the chapter. _

_That last flashback will come back in a later chapter. It's sort of…restrained in Fuu's memories currently._

_Has anyone seen that "Fluff" has many different modern meanings? I looked up some and freaked out._

Me: HI GUYS! It's me, Fenrir's Lockhart!

Mugen: Who's she?

Fuu: *shrugs*

Me: Do you two know what "Fluff" is? Besides something that is soft.

Mugen: *mouth waters* Isn't it somethin' you eat?

Me: …umm…well yeah. You could eat marshmallow fluff sandwiches but…

Fuu: I think it has something to do with sex too.

Mugen and Me: How the hell do _you _know that?

Mugen: It definitely means your fat, like you when you stuff your face like a pig.

Fuu: *sticks tongue out*

Momo: *squeak* (Actually, it's a story that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside after reading. Just like the feeling you get when you look at me.) *squeak*

Mugen: Get that evil creature away from me! It's definitely _not_ fluffy! *shies away in corner*

_Technically they are all right. Fluff has many modern definitions. The fluff I'm trying to portray is the "warm and fuzzy feeling". I couldn't believe that "fluff" meant sex too… _

_Fluffy? Funny? Needs some work? I cannot convey how much I love everyone's reviews. I literally stalk my own story just so I can reread them. (hehehehehe) Just kidding. But not really…O.o_

_**End of Chapter 4**_


	7. Chapter 5 Nurture Novices

_**Chapter 5 Nurture Novices**_

{Original Title: Fuck Parenting…}

[A/N]: _Youkoso minna! ^-^ This is directly connected to chapter 6 and 7 because it'd be too long to fit in one chapter. Enjoy the set!_

**Important Reference- **_The festival Mugen remembers in this chapter is a traditional one celebrated on the Ryukyuan island of Miyakoshima. Men dressed in dark, leaf-like costumes throw mud on houses and howl to chase off evil spirits and bad omens. The "crow men" (as some people have come to calling them) in the anime that represent Mugen's death actually closely resemble the pantu…which are these figures in the festival ridding evil. Would be very likely Mugen saw the festival as a child and was terrified, considering how he's of ryukyuan descent…so they became his symbol of death. Crows also represent death in Japanese culture._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. I wonder…if I did own it, would I still be this obsessed? Probably…

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 5 Nurture Novices<strong>_

_He's running, tripping over grit and gravel. From what? Where was he? There's blood everywhere. "Mom! Mom?!" Wait—is that his voice? It sounds so…weak and pathetic. His hands are so unnaturally small, balled into tight fists. Helpless. Still he runs, searching…or escaping? Maybe both. His_ _shoeless __toes __sink into the sandy shore reaching its demise as the water nears ever closer. The trees are so tall, the way they loom upon him seeming to touch the dusky sky. Black birds...fly overhead._

_Is that him, crying? Or… _

_Someone was calling for him. A woman's voice. Was it his mother? _

_No…it's different, more familiar. Suddenly he seems taller—stronger—his hands larger. He could run faster. What…"Mugen." _

_What the hell?! _

_"Mugen."_

* * *

><p>"Mugen! Wake up!" Removing the forearm that shaded vacant eyes, they peered up to see a familiar girl adorned in pink through hooded lashes. His head was still in a clouded fog…<p>

Then…the drowsy vagabond's vision cleared to fully glimpse a worried expression on Fuu's face, who beside his hard futon, had been gently nudging him to fully awaken from the abysmal sleep he'd been trapped within.

"…the hell you want?"

"…You were moving in your sleep."

"So you _watch me_ while I sleep? Creepy broad…" Another insult crawled its way into her ears. Its source being; an _exasperating _companion of hers who smirked mischievously while turning on his side. _Let's face it_. Mugen_e njoyed _aggravating her.

Fuu blithely smacked the side of his head. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't be so full of yourself, okay? I was just worried, that's all. So…are you alright?" A sleepy dog interrupted from his afternoon snooze; that's what Mugen resembled well. The female noted that as he sprang to his feet, stretched his back and yawned subsequently into the humid room blanketed by deposits of dust and the daybreak sunlight that made it visible.

"Why wouldn't I be fine? Just had a strange dream is all…" Dreams like that weren't common or recurrent to him… When was the last time a dream like that came about? _'Years...'_

"A nightmare? You want to talk about it?" Her downcast eyes showed concern…

…or maybe just her annoying curiosity.

"When I was really little, like three…"

Mugen stopped. He scrunched his forehead and brought a thoughtful finger to his stubbly chin. That dream appeared familiar—like a detached memory—but it would constantly slip away; so close to seize however, unobtainable by the mind's reach. "Forget about it. It doesn't matter."

Actually, he _didn't care much_ to remember it. By the way the melancholic images of the dream appeared, Mugen could sense it held agony and must have something to do with his mother. _A mother he barely could recall…_ Ever since he was a young boy amidst that one island in the Ryukyus—a penal colony left to rot as far as the Japanese government was concerned—the orphaned boy held no recollections of her or anyone else he may have grown up with. Even the woman's face was blurry. Living as a stray was completely ordinary to him, and that's one of the main reasons he'd lived strictly for himself. Most people probably couldn't begin to fathom such a lifestyle of constant kill or be killed situations, trust no one or you'll die; that _solitary_ lifestyle.

Pushing her rough companion towards the exit, Fuu came up with an idea to spend their day. "I heard there's a summer festival in town. Wanna go?"

Well…_not so solitary anymore._

He wondered if he enjoyed being alone_ more._

Together, they exited the building awaiting the tons of stuff (FOOD of course) that could be bought with the amount of money they piled for the short time... Barely anything for another, true, but it was a hearty meal enough for them alone.

For about a week, the duo resided in a small settlement somewhat north of Edo. When they'd miraculously staggered into the town, dragging sore feet all the way, they were _dead_ broke. To their luck, they received payment and additional free lodging in exchange for some household work at the town's inn. The owner had gone on some errand, leaving his son in charge with the many responsibilities of caretaking and managing; all by himself, it was too much which was fortunate for the two travelers who stopped in for the night. Mugen lackadaisically accepted the offer, but he refused to let _anyone_ boss him on what work should be done at what time. "Cleaning at his own pace" was his reasoning.

Theoretically, this just meant that Fuu was stuck with most of the work…

* * *

><p>Outside could be described as brilliantly vibrant. Lanterns and decorations were displayed at almost every building, brightening the atmosphere of the community further. All of the streets seemed packed with villagers enjoying the summer festival. To their surprise, it was quite early in the day and yet these people still held boundless energy to spend—with children playing tag, giggling all along the way, bumping into scolding adults and sniggered at by old ladies. Street vendors were selling delicious snacks and treats as well as traditional costumes and town souvenirs. Everyone seemed content despite the temperature having reached a high degree and the mugginess being close to unbearable.<p>

Reflecting on this, Fuu remembered the festivals she too had attended in her younger years, her mother holding her hand in her own. "Don't wonder off", she'd say. Or "Pick what you want, anything. Today is your day to celebrate too". It was enough to make Fuu smile sadly.

To Mugen, this was all new. The Ryukyuan Isles were by no means a hospitable place to live. There wasn't much room to focus on festivals. Though, he did remember some type of thing the natives would celebrate—although it was very vague. These men dressed in muck and leaves howled in the night, causing havoc in the town next to the sea once a year. Sludge's of mud would be thrown on village houses to ward off evil spirits. When he was just a toddler, he remembered thinking they were some type of monster; his memories seemed to be further obscured with increasing age.

_This_ festival seemed a lot more…happy.

A _happy_ moment in his life? There weren't many, that's for sure. Because of their misadventures together, in the past and now—he felt _alive_—he felt there could be something to revel in besides fighting. It brought back memories of their own sunflower samurai journey together too…

Fuu's eyes scanned the joyous people, darting through the colorful garments and commotion of life. _Dreamlike._ Uplifting in every regard. Until…her happiness suddenly contorted to that of worry as her eyes set on something that had her dashing off without giving Mugen a reason as to why.

"Hey! Where are ya going?" His voice wasn't drowned out by the cheering and laughing. Even so, it didn't stop Fuu.

Some ways away covered by the large amounts of people…sat a little girl.

The ex-criminal estimated the youth's age to be around four or five years. She sported a bright orange yukata covered in an embellished pattern of golden flower petals—_sunflowers_ of all things! Her black hair hung loosely reaching to her shoulders, adorned with two yellow ribbons clipped to each side of her head. Compared to the unmindful crowds making way throughout the enjoyment of the day—she was so tiny—the little one crouched low to the ground in that dismal ball. Although her face was partially covered by her small hands, he finally understood why Fuu had taken off so fast.

She was crying.

Mugen watched from the distance. Fuu stooped down to the child's height, placing a reassuring palm on her head. No matter how hard the sobs were attempted to be controlled, the child's shoulders kept rising and falling in brief bursts of sorrow.

"Hey…it'll be okay. What's wrong?" Fuu's tone was genuinely caring and calm and the little girl, sensing this true kindness met her eyes while grasping her hand.

"I…I can't find my mommy. I _looked_ and_ looked_ a-and now she's…gone." was sputtered out, hiccups escalating between each word.

"Everything will be okay. We'll help you. Your mother couldn't have gone very far. She's probably looking for you too."

The now distressed Fuu was approached by Mugen; who bore a scowl written along his unhappy face. "What are you plannin' on doing with that kid?! I ain't babysittin', got it?"

Fuu's glower was even more impressive as she hissed at the uncouth man.

"Mugen, you're going to help whether you like it or not. Look at her, she's all alone!"

With a grumble, the pirate _did_ look. He took in the sight of the little girl knelt on the ground; alone like _he_ used to be as a child. Something unfamiliar to him—akin to perhaps…sympathy—may have caused Mugen to change his previous outlook right then and there.

"Oi kid, you wanna find your ma or not?" She nodded her head, still sniffling away, now wiping the snot on her tiny yukata sleeves. "That's what I thought. If you wanna find your mom, you need to stand up, stop cryin' and actually _look_."

At Mugen's discourteous words, Fuu close to smacked him across the head for being so blatant with a child! Instead of crying however…the little girl stood and stared at him straight in the face with more evidence of confidence than before.

"Okay..."

'_How did he do that?! I thought children cry when people say stuff like that.'_ Rudeness was in-advertently switched with…encouragement?

"So, what's your name?" Fuu bent down meeting her height again.

Holding herself back from another wave of tears, she answered shyly. "…Kokoro…"

"Aww, that's a pretty name. I'm Fuu and that _goofball _over there is Mugen. Don't let him scare you though; he's a big softie on the inside." She motioned towards the considerably tall man, walking away from the two females.

"I can hear ya." He said with fingers knotted behind his head.

"You know it's_ truuuue_."

Taking Kokoro's feeble hand in a snug and reassuring grasp, they caught up to Mugen and thus began the search to find the lost Kokoro's mother.

* * *

><p>For at least two hours, Mugen and Fuu interrogated women—any wearing purple kimonos, the only thing they knew to spot her as Kokoro explained—who seemed old enough to be mothers. Again and again, Kokoro shook her head no. She scarcely said a word while they walked, always very bashful in nature compared to the wild children still running up and down the main festival boulevard. Not once after crying did her wide smile falter however; somehow she knew the duo could be trusted.<p>

Three stomachs growled loudly, interrupting their focus on searching. "I'm hungry. Go buy me food, Mugen." The persistent tugging of Mugen's sleeve caused him to peer downward. "Food, Mugen." she repeated. Shy as the little girl's tone was previously, it now took on one that was quite demanding. Those innocent eyes weren't going to fool _him_ into paying for _her _meal.

"First things first _kid_, I don't take orders from snot nosed lil' fuc- gah...!" He inhaled deeply, suppressing a yelp caused by the harsh pain landed directly to his exposed geta wearing feet; this act was caused by Fuu, who sharply _stomped_ on it. "What was that for, you bit-…shhh…!" Another curse trailed off into the other voices of villagers as her zori smashed down once more—this time digging the heel into his toes—applying more pressure. He shot a dirty glare, seething with murderous intent at the specific woman who caused this pain.

In return, Fuu's eyes wielded finely whetted knives that were fully ready to pierce into his very soul at the given moment. "You are _not_ to swear in front of Kokoro, _you understand_?" The waitress gave a sweet, not to mention _fake _smile.

Don't swear?_ No_ swearing? Swearing made up like fifty percent of his vocabulary! "I don't take orders from-…guh!"

Once again damage was applied to the foot.

Seemed as if a red aura of burning anger surrounded her body; Mugen could almost _feel_ it. Women are so scary… "…Whatever." the ex-pirate scoffed. Maybe if Kokoro wasn't there, he surely would've kept up the argument...

Kokoro didn't seem to notice their mutual agreement and thoughtlessly led the trio searching for a stand to fill her empty stomach and Fuu trailed closely behind, promptly grasping the little girl's hand.

"Fuckin' bitch…" Mugen muttered almost indistinctly… _Almost_.

To Mugen's _horror_, the devil woman reared her head, furling angry eyebrows. "What was _that_?"

"Nothing, nothing!" He said while raising hands in defense. One long exhale of relief released fully when she merely turned back around and ignored him.

Women are _really_, _really_ psycho.

For a place to eat lunch, Kokoro pulled them into a cramped noodle stand. "I want shrimp soba! Buy it for me." This kid was really getting on his _last _nerve. When the bowls were slid across the wooden counter, Kokoro greedily grabbed hers and practically finished the last morsels when Mugen and Fuu had just about started to lift up the noodles with the provided utensils. _'Holy shit!' _They stared wide eyed at the diminutive little youngster that had then devoured the remaining soup in a matter of seconds. "Another!" She held her bowl up high with two hands, waiting for her second serving with a bold smile.

"Coming right up, little miss!" the cook answered from the counter.

"Hah! Look at 'er stuffing her face, kinda reminds me of someone I know." For his statement, the man received a sharp kick to his shin. "…Just so we're clear, I ain't the one payin' her tab." Fuu cleared her throat noticeably loud and Mugen mumbled something inaudible back; in all probability being along the lines of a curse he was newly forbidden from uttering. "_Fine_…but hit me one more dam-…dang time and I swear I'll…"

After some time, and multiple "anothers" from the two bottomless pits Mugen sat with, Kokoro focused attention to the blade strapped to the left of his back, the handle just by his head. "That's a really cool sword." Kokoro pointed out. "What do you use it for?" And as a result, neither Mugen nor Fuu could form an answer, trying to figure out a creative way to answer the question without scaring the youngster…

"Uh…cutting things." It was pretty clear that Kokoro wouldn't settle for such an effortless answer when she leaned forward awaiting a real response.

"Like what?"

"…People..." Mugen answered plainly,_ hoping_ to scare her off to stop the annoying little questions buzzing similar to a swarm of mosquitoes at his ear; while Fuu was horrified to this unexpected response.

Unlike many other people, she didn't seem afraid at all! Instead, her cocoa orbs brightened and almost…sparkled; she practically begged to hear more. "That's sooooo cool! Do you fight bad guys and stuff?"

"Sometimes." More questions were eventually fired off as Mugen somehow trapped the youth's undivided and expectant attention—to Fuu's _mortification_.

"Did you ever challenge a samurai that was really, _really _strong?" The warrior chuckled at this, remembering a very s_pecific_ samurai whom he never obtained the chance to beat…ironically the same one they were _supposed _to be searching for _instead _of the absent parent.

"In fact, I have."

"Have you ever saved a cute girl that was in trouble?"

Too bad the light haired brunette forgot that it was _Mugen_ answering the question.

While slurping another buckwheat noodle, he coughed, started snorting and almost choked on it, punching his chest in order to get it out. "Well, I wouldn't say she…was anywhere _near_ cute but…" He evilly snickered at the inside joke, compelling Fuu to crack her knuckles sinisterly. She instead, smacked his back really hard with her open palm…which her excuse was to help him lodge out the food he'd choked on.

Kokoro squealed out, bouncing in her seat gleefully with the newfound idea that the guy next to her was some type of remarkable, legendary hero! "You are soooo cool! Like…like Nobunagata or Musashimi in my story books!" …and Fuu couldn't help giggling at how she'd messed up the historical character's Musashi and Nobunaga's names.

"Don't let _him_ fool you, he can be the villain too." Fuu then grimaced. Now seemed appropriate to change the subject to more important matters and Fuu was the one to start. "Well back to your mother…what exactly does she look like anyway? All we know is she has a purple kimono. Is there anything else that might help?"

"She has shiny, dark brown hair and really pretty eyes! My mom is really, really pretty!" Kokoro spoke excitedly with all teeth gleaming in the fair sunlight that fell through the exposed windows.

"Oooh. Interesting." Mugen propped his elbows on the counter, with a smirk. _'Oh, god. What is he thinking…_' In a way, she knew well enough already to figure out what he'd ask next.

"Soo…is she single?"

Instead of the brute, she face palmed _herself_ in irritation. "Mugen! We aren't looking for her mother for your own agenda! We need to find her for Kokoro!"

"_Calm down_. I was kidding, dumb as- uh…chick."

Gently, the raven headed girl set down her bowl (the fifth bowl right about now) of soba noodles, her gaze meeting the wisps of steam emanating from the heated broth. "My papa is gone, he's not coming back."

"Is he dead?" Mugen asked bluntly.

"Mugen!" Fuu opened her mouth to yell but then turned quickly to the little girl.

"I don't know. He just left. I wish papa would come back…"

Seeing that familiar expression… This whole scenario seemed awfully reminiscent, and it almost hurt for Fuu to think of her own childhood that so oddly paralleled this kid's; both missing their fathers. That hidden expectancy eventually twisted to anger when her mother had passed away from illness so easily curable with the right medication—_the right amount of money her samurai father could have earned…or left with_. Her number one goal from then on was to find him and _beat the living hell_ out of him for abandoning his family without giving them a reason. Even though she found out late, he truly was protecting them after rebelling from the overly high taxes and banning of Christianity.

And although that journey had led her to her elusive father, the experience of traveling with those two men was what made the journey much more worthwhile and…and memorable.

Who knows, perhaps this girl would go travel with some guys one day to find her father.

Exiting the noodle shop, the rambunctious festival crowds seemed to lessen as more people exited the streets to shop and eat, some already setting out blankets and wine bottles on the grassy fields in preparation for the firework showing much later tonight. "Fuu?" While Kokoro whispered her name, she indicated to Mugen who was walking ahead.

"Hmm? Oh, you want to know more about Mugen?" She nodded eagerly. "Well…he helped me find _my_ father actually. We traveled for a long time, always arguing. But even if he hates to accept it, he really is a good person, just...a little rough around the edges."

"People tell me to stay away from guys with those blue ring thingies he has. But I like Mugen. He's funny and strong!" For a second, Fuu didn't know whether to be happy or…sad. Happy that the little girl had taken a liking to him but less so…over the idea that people openly judged men like Mugen; _criminals_…for those tattoos.

_'Those tattoos...' __She always wondered about those. _He must have fought his way to escape them, and now his wrists and ankles were to be permanently marked...

"Fuu-'nee-chan? What's wrong?"

The older girl couldn't help but be surprised at Kokoro's form of addressing her."Huh? Oh it's nothing. Anything else you want to know?"

"You said you traveled with him before too. Are you the one he saved?" Fuu smiled in return down at her little companion who seemed even more intrigued about the male. "Is Mugen _your _hero?"

"…My…Maybe…."

From afar, she studied the males relaxed back, hands behind his head, sword draped rightfully across one shoulder as they passed through the crowds. Perhaps everyone was curious about Mugen just like she was when they first met: his stupid smile and disheveled hair, cocky voice and…

Yet…some were probably wearier than anything…

"Umm, so did you ever him find your dad?" the little girl asked.

"…Yes. It was worth it to find him. But Kokoro-chan," she kneeled down to the girl again, putting two hands on her shoulders as the child looked expectedly at her. "Whatever happens in your life, you learn from it… And…actually going on the journey was more fun than the end of it. In fact, I didn't want it to end. But it had to… So, enjoy every little moment you have with the people you care about rather than fearing what will happen, alright?"

"Okay! At least you two are together again, right?"

"Yup!" Fuu again smiled.

* * *

><p>As they approached an isolated clearing of the town, they all spotted something in the distance. Eyes widening, Kokoro jumped up and down impatiently, tugging at Fuu's fingers, pointing towards a distant woman adorned in an amethyst shaded robe. "That's mom, that's mom!"<p>

Mugen caught up to her first, the older female, baffled, shook her head no and briskly departed.

It wasn't her again.

"This is getting us nowhere! I'm sick of this BULLSHIT, we'll _never_ find her!" As soon as his voice had risen to a vicious height, Mugen regretted it seconds later. Tears streamed down her cheeks in silvery paths, failing to rub them away, completely uncontrollable. Faster than the time it could take for Mugen to pull out his sword, Kokoro was for a second time, huddled to the ground and weeping into her knees, with Fuu shooting a glare. "We-we're not gonna find her…"

'_Oh god.'_ He panicked; he never panics! Mugen was _not _good with kids, barely being around any his entire life.

Slowly the worry diluted itself when Fuu went to comfort the distraught girl.

"Hey, don't cry. We have plenty of time to find her."

"You…you p-promise?" her eyes were pleading again, pleading for…_hope._

"_Yeah, yeah._ We promise. Everything'll be fine." Mugen interjected into the conversation and messily tousled Kokoro's straight black hair, the ribbons she wore getting misplaced and drooping slightly. "If we're gonna ever find her though, we gotta keep pressin' on. Best get a move on."

He strode away and she got up to follow those much larger footsteps than hers.

When she attempted to run to his side, she tripped and fell face first into the red bricked footpath. And the waterworks spouted again.

"Kokoro-chan! Oh my, are you alright?" Fuu ran to the girl's side and pulled out a bandage, dabbing at the littered scratches right beneath her left eye.

"I-I'm okay."

"Next time, don't be so clumsy, alright? You need to be careful." In her motherly voice, Fuu scolded.

"Yeah, you should talk, girlie."

The trio saw that one of her thin sandal straps ripped. "Oh no… We'll just have to buy you a new pair."

Mugen actually held knowledge on fixing them…but the straw on this one was worn and dried out from the sun completely…"Ughhh. You're a spoiled little brat aren't ya." To everyone's surprise—including his own— Mugen then hoisted Kokoro on top of his broad shoulders. This earned an overjoyed cheer from the pint sized youth, who gladly raised her hands to the dreary sky in victory and Fuu let out a small laugh. "Yay! Piggyback ride!"

No, he was _not _being nice. He did _not_ care if she couldn't walk. He only wished to find her mother faster and get this damn search over with. _Riighhht…_

"Well, don't act up or I'll drop you. Got it?" Not like he would, even Fuu knew his threats were empty towards the child.

"Got it! My papa used to give me piggyback rides. Thanks Onii-chan!"

What did Kokoro mean by that? That thought couldn't help but make him wonder. Looking to Fuu with an unsure expression, he recognized a proud smile filled with joy directed right towards him. Fuu's tender giggle somehow eased his mind into realizing that he was doing the right thing…if only he knew what she was thinking.

_'Mugen wouldn't be a bad father after all.'_

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p><em>[AN]: _

**Miyamoto Musashi- **a famous ronin and author from the 16th century known for his skill with a sword even at a young age (there's a reference to him in Episode 21). Kokoro called him Musashimi. **Sashimi**- "raw fish" in Japanese and is usually wrapped in seaweed paper with rice.

**Oda Nobunaga-** a daimyo who helped with the unification of Japan in the late 16th century. Kokoro called him Nobunaginata.** Naginata**- a traditional Japanese blade that has a pole like a spear, but a blade like a katana.

**Onee-chan/'nee-chan-** a honorific used by small children when addressing their older sister. It can also be used as a sign of a close relationship, like a child accepting a friend like family.

**Onii-chan/'nii-chan- **a honorific used by small children when addressing their older brother. It can also be used as a sign of a close relationship, like a child accepting a friend like family.

Mugen: Sooooo…your mom's a milf, kid?

Fuu: *jaw drops in shock*

Kokoro: What's a milf?

Mugen: It's a- *mouth covered by a very angry Fuu*

Fuu: Umm…it's uh…er…uh type of woman….?

Kokoro: What kind of woman?

Mugen: A mom I'd like to- *smacked across the head and punched in the gut by Fuu*

Fuu: Uh, don't listen to him. He doesn't understand Japanese very well and makes up really weird words.

Kokoro: Oh. Okay.

Fuu: *whispers sinisterly* Don't make me get Momo after you…

Mugen: …Dammit…

_I hope everyone knows what a "milf is". Otherwise, you're as innocent as Kokoro. XP._

_O.o Will they find her mother? And what about their own journey to find Jin? Stay tuned. And leave a review or else me and Kokoro will cry. Thanks everyone! ^-^_

_**End of Chapter 5**_


	8. Chapter 6 Farcical Foreboding

_**Chapter 6 Farcical Foreboding**_

{Original Title: Kids…How fun…}

[A/N]: _Minna dou desu ka? I deeply apologize from the bottom of my kokoro (ahaha puns, how I love them) that it always took me soooooo long to update all these chapters. Took me even longer to get the revisions down. _

**Important Reference**: _In summer festivals, goldfish stands are games that children usually play. A "poi" is a tiny, circle shaped net with a handle but it has a thin piece of paper where a net would be. When playing, the paper can easily break when swiping for a goldfish which means the goldfish gets away and a new poi needs to be bought. Also, "medaka" or Japanese killifish are sometimes added to the pools. These fish are much faster and harder to catch than the regular goldfish but count as four goldfish in competitions. I also realize that this festival game was invented later in the Edo era but hey, Samurai Champloo is a mix of Japanese history. That's the whole point. So, it's supposed to be historically inaccurate to some regard._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Well technically, Kokoro is my idea. But Shinichiro Watanabe and all the big wigs can totally have it if they make some type of remake, sequel, movie or whatever of my all time favorite anime! Pleeeeeeasssse…?

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 6 Farcical Foreboding<strong>_

"Mugen-'nii-chan, Fuu-'nee-chan! Look at all the lights!"

The child's arms and legs frolicked as she spun dizzily around the crowds trying not to bump into the whimsical little girl, pleased beyond words with the new pair of comfortable sandals. Fuu giggled tenderly and even Mugen couldn't help but crack a half smile. It was about 7:00 p.m. Occasional breezes and the sun just beginning to set made the chilliness seem all the more rewarding for the festivities. Enumerate stands lined the long streets of the town for the revelries surely going to continue into the latest hours of the night. One in particular caught Kokoro's undisguised attention; it was just a humble little goldfish stand, contrast from the competitive games with much more impressive prizes. Many other children were circling the modest pond, giving the fishing a shot.

It seemed that none were successful.

"Can I try?" Kokoro—completely fascinated by the orange and yellow fish darting from side to side, avoiding being ensnared at every angle—asked with anticipation. Their tail fins made little ripples in the water that reflected off the jeweled lights of the commemoration of summer.

"Ahhh, let her have some fun." The woman in pink handed the shopkeeper the money. The man with a goofy okame mask gave Kokoro a paper poi net and wooden bowl to store the goldfish in.

Eager, she dipped the poi in the shallow fishpond attempting to catch one…and instantly failed thereafter.

The goldfish gracefully fell back into the clear liquid, leaving the poi ripped and a stupefied girl on the verge of tears.

The irritant of a man who watched from a distance pinched the bridge of his noise. He nearly tossed another pile of change to the owner to purchase a new one. "Watch me will ya? You can't go all _try hard_ 'cause the paper will rip. See?" Kokoro focused at watching his calm movements. Slowly, very slowly, he dipped the poi in the water, smoothly,_ patiently_ following the trail of a deep shaded sunset colored fish. "Fish-face once taught me that ya gotta move _with_ the water, not against it and then the fish won't realize…" Was it just Fuu…or did Mugen's face in concentration contain a softer image? Maybe it was just the dim hue of the various lanterns… He refrained from moving the poi then…and a goldish swam just above it. "Then, at the right moment-" easily as that, he scooped up the unaware aquatic animal. "You make your move. If ya fight the fish it'll just rip the net. You gotta be one with the water…or whatever philosophical bull he used to say…"

_'Wow. Who would've thought Mugen could be gentle.'_ To think the forceful, impulsive and wild beast in red could somehow be patient enough to catch a fish…strange, so when Fuu watched him dubiously, she realized that maybe she truly didn't understand him that much after all.

"Let me try, let me try!" The little girl's arms were outstretched to Mugen who eventually handed the net back.

Kokoro's eyes focused and followed a pale yellow fish whose motions were much more quick and unpredictable. Determination being the key factor, Kokoro mimicked Mugen's movements, matching the killifish's path. With an unexpected swoop, she settled it in the bowl with a plop next to its reddish colored companion. "YAY! I did it! Look Mugen, I caught one too!"

"Nice job shortie, you caught the fastest one. But, you'll never be an awesome fisherman like me. I got plenty a' notches under my belt when it comes to fishing." Mugen chuckled and patted her head, while she flailed and punched his legs. "I will too! And you're not wearing a belt! I'll be even better than you, Mugen-'nii-chan!"

He bent down and flicked her forehead with his middle finger, which caused the uncoordinated youngster to flinch and almost topple over. "Keep practicin' and never give up, 'kay?"

"Kay!"

"Y'know, she's better than Fish-face. Tch… I bet he wouldn't even be able to catch one a' these things." Mugen lazily pointed to the pond before laughing. Despite getting the chance to learn later in their travels, it would take him hours on end for Jin to catch _one_. The young woman at his side covered her mouth, trying her utmost to restrain mocking their quiet friend.

"Who's fish face?" Kokoro asked Fuu curiously.

"A good friend of ours named Jin who couldn't catch fish." Fuu hurriedly saved the samurai's name before Mugen would taint his honor with_ stupidity_.

"He sounds like my Anii-chan!"

"You have a brother?"

"No... but he was like family and he's really cool and he fought bad guys like Mugen! Hmm…I wanna name my yellow fishy Jin and the red one will be Mugen then!" With a clap, their names were officially decided and the two fish were placed in water filled bags given to Mugen to carry.

"..pfft….AHAHAHAHAH." Fuu's head fell back, as an explosive laughter erupted from her throat while almost rolling on the ground snickering to death. Mugen blinked and scoffed before walking ahead.

Throughout their search, whenever something trapped Kokoro's interest (which was approximately EVERY FIVE SECONDS) she'd pull onto Mugen's sleev, begging him to take a glance, if not a stare as well. "Psssst…Mugen-'nii-chan…" This time, the child was staring towards a young couple in the distance. The vagrant raised an eyebrow while viewing the woman lean on the edge of her toes to place a swift peck on the man's lips. Seeing the action, Kokoro's eyes seemed to glitter with genuine marvel. She reached to Mugen's ear and whispered almost like trying to keep a secret safe. "So, do you and Fuu smooch like that?"

Pirate self destruction activated…3…2…1…

"WHAAAAATTT?!"

"Does it look like I wanna kiss this bitc-eau…be…eautiful… woman?!"

'_SHIT! That didn't come out right!'_

"Well, thank you for the nice compliment there…Mu-ge-n." Fuu remarked each hiragana syllable of the uncommon name snidely through gritted teeth…and Mugen almost smashed his skull into a wall _right there_ for having to state _she_ was beautiful of all people. Instead, he settled with spitting at the soil in utter disgust. "You _wish_…girlie. Tch."

"Well, you travel together and stuff. I thought you were friends…" Maybe her naivety added to how adorable she was. The brunette female decided to handle this situation since Mugen would only make things worse like he does with _everything_ else. "Kokoro-chan, only people who are _in love_ kiss."

"_In love?_ But don't you love each other? You care about him and he saves you. Isn't that love, Onee-chan?"

In the most uncharacteristic way, she shrugged her shoulders and responded with complete…unresponsiveness. "It's not…that simple." No smile, no pout, no shock. Nothing; only eyes averted towards the cascading glow of lanterns and a thin line of a mouth were the strange replacements.

"Ehhhh? I don't get it at all. Adults are so strange." Losing interest in the topic fast, the youth in orange and yellow, moved along leaving behind an eerily quiet Mugen and Fuu.

Creeping stealthily out of pink fabric, Momo turned his head left, then right, squeaked and jumped right onto Kokoro's shoulder, beginning to nuzzle his damp nose against her soft cheek. Another squeal of fresh excitement released as she began petting the lovable flying squirrel.

Mugen wasn't used to kids having such a damn short attention span! One minute she was playing, another she was hungry, and another she was totally focused on something else! _'What the hell is wrong with children?' _If only he realized that his defined character traits were beyond similar to that of a child.

"Hey. Why are kids so weird?" he ventured out into asking. Kokoro didn't notice, busy with Momo. Fuu grinned and answered.

"Why are _you_ so weird?" Dagger number one has been thrown.

"Why are _you_ such a brat?" Blocked.

"Why are _you_ such an idiot?" Breaks through block with another dagger.

"Why are you such a bit-…Grrrr… You knew I wouldn't swear so you did that on purpose, didn't you." Dagger thrown and misses target.

"Maybe." Throws last dagger.

"You piss me off." Last dagger hits target perfectly.

"I know." Victory!

And for the moment, Fuu's happy to feel like a child again, playing this immature teasing argument of a game with Mugen. Because, a childhood was something neither of them ever could hold onto for very long.

With another drawling sigh, Mugen turned to the youth who was petting the miniature animal. Momo appeared to like the attention but suddenly caught the whiff of something like sunflower seeds and skittered away. "Momo! Wait!" She pulled Mugen's wrist and pointed to the animal that managed to escape. "Mugennnnnn, can you go get Momo for me?" Man, kids were annoying.

"No. I hate that stupid little fuc-luff…..ball…" Disappointment flooded into Kokoro's heart, having taken a liking to the little creature quite fast. Fuu noticed this, remembering when she'd found the baby flying squirrel curled in a ball of fluff on top of a sunflower. Instantly falling in love with the animal, they've been together ever since.

"Don't worry, Momo-san will come back. He always does."

* * *

><p>Time sure flied when you were having fun. Well, not that Mugen <em>admitted to<em>_ having_ an exuberant time or anything. Surely, his idea of a good time was food, booze and evidently_ women_; preferably those of which did not include possessing flat chests and whiny voices on the roster, ones that didn't annoy the shit out of him at every second he was spared to live! Still, he felt something warm and unfamiliar, twining in the interior of his chest. _'Fun? Pfft…As soon as we find her ma, I'm gettin' the hell outta here.'_

"Hmmm…What are you thinking about? You look like you're practically drooling on yourself, dummy." Thin slits were eyeing him skeptically.

"I'm thinkin' about getting the hell-" She was prepared to hit him. "Oi, hell ain't no swear word! It's a place, the same place I'm about to drag you to if ya don't stop hittin' me!" Fuu still didn't seem convinced. "_Fine_, _heck_ away from you and havin' myself some _real_ fun tonight." Without waiting for her oncoming rant that was definite to start in approximately…_ten seconds_, eyes reclosed and returned to thoughts of ample hips and large, supple breasts fitting perfectly in his palms.

Fists clenched, Fuu prepared to begin yelling her head off but instead, she noticed something…off.

…In a more or less comical moment, both adults stopped and gaped at the blank space that a happy little girl previously occupied.

"Hah?"

"Eh?"

Mugen and Fuu paused before snapping back to reality; _freaking out_. Revolving on squealing heels, they turned to every possible direction. "You idiot, you should've been watching her!"

"_I _should've watched her? Whatta' about you?! You were too busy watching me drool or whatever. Dumb broad."

"Ugh….This isn't the time to be arguing! We have to find her." Neither could believe that she had vanished so stealthily and a strange fear was darkening the festival mood. "Let's split up. We'll meet back here in twenty minutes." One nod, then Fuu ran off to find the now lost Kokoro.

* * *

><p>"Kokoro-chan!" She shouted with lungs and feet now burning unbearably from frantically searching. She unleashed her built up fury on brown locks of hair, vigorously pulling at the lengths of them in frustration, several strands even falling out. <em>'This is terrible! First her mother, now her. How are we ever going to figure this all out?!'<em>

Some feet away, Kokoro was obliviously sizing up the ground.

"There you are! Where have you been? You can't just run off like that!"

"I-I'm sorry…I thought I saw Momo-san so I chased after him. And then, these men started following me so I kept running."

More than anything, Fuu was relieved…and yet something in Kokoro's explanation sounded _unsettling_. "You said…men? Following you?" That instant was when Fuu took full notice of that a few guys were approaching the two from multiple directions; the only path to go down showed through the lantern light; a quiet street unlit by the rest of the festival activities. Everyone so busy…didn't notice the eerie group tailing on the two females. "Come on, let's go. Hurry."

Stumbling down the narrowly paved street, Fuu and Kokoro stopped dead in their tracks when they realized the predicament they were in. From every angle they were completely surrounded by at least nine men, their outfits and tattoos resembling those of a local yakuza gang. Separating themselves from the crowds turned out to be the worst idea ever and now they were _cornered_. Cautiously steps were taken back towards the cold, uninviting walls of the alleyway street while Kokoro gripped Fuu's hand tighter, depending and trusting. She could feel quite well how clammy Kokoro's palm became on her own as the child whimpered indistinctly. _'Kokoro-chan…this is my fault…' _Daringly, Fuu planted her feet firmly in the ground and confronted their unwanted company. "What, what is it that you want with us?" Even Fuu could tell how shaky her own voice sounded.

One of the men took a step closer—Fuu just as quickly taking a step back with Kokoro in hand—inching along the district barrier as far from him as humanly possible. Through the engulfing obscurity, his voice sounded like what she imagined to be an oni if they were to not be a myth. "Oh, I believe you know _exactly _what we want. Where is he."

"What?"

The yakuza member stopped directly affront of her. "Don't play dumb! Your husband owes us a lot of debt. It's about time he pays up."

"What are you-what are you talking about?! You have the wrong person! I don't have a husband!" she barked at him, knowing full well of the risk she put herself in for such brashness…still, she was scared for the child more than anything.

"We're not stupid Nozomi! Where is _Kaito,_ you fucking bitch?!" When the ugly male had spoken the female name, Kokoro gasped and gripped Fuu's hand even tighter. And that's when it completely clicked. Fuu was mistaken for Kokoro's mother, Nozomi, while Kaito…must have been her long since missing father. The yakuza gang was looking for Kokoro's father, so they confused Nozomi with Fuu; it all made perfect sense!

"Heh. Well if you're not willing to hand _him_ over, you two will do just fine then. You'll make us tons of money in the local brothel. Or…I think the boss'll be especially happy with _you_." Fuu turned her head to the side in disgust as the man leaned forward and breathed on the surface of her exposed neck. "And your _little girl_ here? Well, she'll sell anywhere."

_Instinct,_ _it was a complete movement of instinct._

"Leave her out of this, YOU PIGS!" Fuu screamed, burning her lungs ever more. Her harmless appearing, pink tanto she pulled out backwards, raised high above her head to release momentum, the charms clinking against each other as the blade descended down to stab him in the shoulder. The blade cut deep yes…but it wasn't anywhere near a fatal point of injury.

"You little whore!" This was the reaction she needed. As the center of attention, the group rushed at her and attempted to seize Fuu's thin limbs.

"Find Mugen!" Being grabbed from at the back, Fuu shoved another away and stabbed one of her attackers with every inch of power she could muster. _But it wasn't enough. _They easily were able to disarm the knife from her loose grip. "Kokoro-chan, _RUN_!"

The last thing Fuu fully witnessed was Kokoro dash off with pursuers closely behind, before a solid pain shot directly into her stomach and a cloth bag pulled over her head.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _OMG cliff hanger!_

_When Mugen calls Fuu a bitch, and then changes it to beautiful because they both start with "b", it actually fits in Japanese too. _**Kono ama**- bitch _and_ **Kirei- **beautiful

**Okame Mask- **traditional festival mask representing a smiling Japanese woman who brings good fortune and happiness to her husband. Known as the Goddess of Mirth. The masks are kinda creepy to me.

**Anii-chan**- a honorific used by small children when talking about and not to their older brother directly. It can also be used as a sign of a close relationship, like a child accepting a friend like family.

**Oni- **a Japanese ogre or troll demon/monster

_I thought I'd give the translations to their names too._

**Kokoro-** Heart. One of my favorite Japanese names. I actually thought of Kokoro the geisha in training from Dead or Alive as a little kid when I was thinking of the character. But my Kokoro has brown eyes like Fuu and I still imagine her different. BY THE WAY, it wasn't until AFTER I originally posted Chapter 7 that I realized Kokoro from Dead or Alive is voiced by the same amazing Japanese actress as Fuu, Ayako Kawasumi. Weird coincidence.

**Nozomi-** Hope. I thought this would connect well with heart so that's why she's named that. They're also "hoping" to find her.

_Well this isn't the best time for a skit but…why not?_

Momo: *squeak*

Mugen: Why are you here?

Momo:*squeak*

Mugen: *looks down at Momo*…

Momo: *stares back at him*

Mugen: ….I am _so_ screwed.

_Don't forget to Fav/Alert or Review, which makes me the utmost happiest. Love you guys!_

_**End of Chapter 6**_


	9. Chapter 7 Qualms to Quell

_**Chapter 7 Qualms to Quell**_

{Original Title: Mugen the Hero…Yeah, Right!}

[A/N]: _Hara hetaaaaaaaa…Ah! Hey readers! I just wanted to thank all my reviewers again. Reading the stuff you guys write makes my kokoro go doki doki (Sorry, I love the kokoro puns). For all of the anonymous reviewers, thank you to you guys too, I just wish you'd make accounts so I could thank you properly in a private message ^^_

_This chapter I disliked before, but I really like the revisions I made. Particularly, the beginning._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc. Seriously. If I owned it, I would forever taint its holiness. My honor as a loyal fan girl would be ruined…

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 7 Qualms to Quell<strong>_

The first sound Mugen overheard was a child's scream. The next, was forthcoming drums of heavier footsteps. He headed in the direction of a residential district where no citizens inhabited their homes due to the festival. Ambiance flooding his location was that of darkness, and _of silence_ for a second time—until the tiny voice called his name. _She sounded desperate_. On the spur of time, the vagrant edged quickly along freckled walls, whereabouts being masked but his position gave enough view to witness everything.

A kid stumbled through the night, bawling out for Mugen, pleading for help from the absent male or anyone else willing to pull her from misfortune's clutches.

Her two pursuers were grotesque. Fuu wasn't with her.

_Fuu __WASN'T __with her_.

As they approached Kokoro slipped, face meeting the dirt as the yakuza members were upon her. They cackled repulsively…Mugen now realizing unwilling and repulsed that their intended deeds may have been worse than he initially thought. The taller one reached down to snatch the little girl.

Like a simple silhouette, the ryukyuan appeared behind him. Two large hands gripped the side of a gangster's head and jaw and…snapped the unknowing goon's neck with a single, satisfying pop. Not yet was her innocent view tainted by the imminent violence since her face pressed firmly into the ground from tripping. The corpse's eyes stared vacantly when it was dropped.

It landed with a heavy thud.

"You-you! G-get away!" The other stumbled backwards to avoid the menacing ex-criminal quick to draw his sword. Shades cascaded over the man's face as he loomed over with a nearly _evil _grin, wolfish teeth carnivorous and wicked. Seized were the yakuza's shoulders; put in a taut position with the European blade against his jugular. One wrong move and…

"_Where is she._" Drastically changing, Mugen's tenor shifted to low, emphasizing the words as an unstated deathlike threat. Guys like these yakuza assholes—not the honorable kind, _the trash_—were weak and had to band together to fight. They were corrupt and only abused those weaker than themselves…

"The lady's probably already dead. I don't know where she is!" the guy claimed. He desperately attempted to pry away from the hold with little to no success.

This declaration fueled the fire.

And Mugen's whole persona was commonly affiliated to a very definite element. _Fire._ Lying thoughtlessly with such a grating statement would merely pursue the nearby path of death, being the same one Mugen wasn't hesitant to send him on. "Bullshit, you won't be swearing on lies when you're half way ta' hell!" Drops of blood dribbled down the gangster's tattoo covered neck, resulted from the finely sharpened edge pressing ever closer to his sweat covered skin. "You _pissin' yourself_ yet, or do I have to cut _deeper_?"

"W-wait, wait! She-she's probably in an abandoned warehouse to the west of here. It's our bosses' hideout used for gambling and keeping hostages who don't pay the interest fees…There's a black, x-ed out sign in the front. The front! T-the front you need a password to give to the guard, a…a phrase to enter. I don't have it. That's all I know, I-I swear!"

"Tch…You think I ain't gonna kill the guard too?" he smirked…and yelled "Close your eyes!" directed to Kokoro who began watching the interrogation in petrified curiosity. This was supposed to scare her. That way, she'd obey with no question. If she…if she saw what a monster he truly was, then she'd be too afraid to come near the vagrant ever again.

However…Kokoro did_ not_ do as she was told and her untainted eyes enlarged to witness Mugen _slicing the man's neck, _scarlet droplets spraying through the once peaceful air. What rang deafeningly through her ears…was the man's last scream for mercy.

_Mugen wasn't a man of mercy._

Thrown was the now lifeless corpse with the other, by the vagrant not troubled with killing, who collectedly paced away, striking the handgrip of his sword to knock off the excess blood. He saw her expression. One of distrust…_of fear_. He was yet another nightmare that should haunt dreams; a dark horror skulking from the obscurities of thought to steal away the lives of those resilient enough to impede his path.

The ex-criminal reeked of sin. This man was no hero…and he never would be.

"I didn't want you…to see that side of me." he breathed out slowly… For the first time…Mugen held a sense of guilt for revealing his true nature in front of someone else.

When Kokoro stood up facing away from him, he was expecting her to run away from the vile fiend he was; he, who lost the sense of guilt and he, who was capable of such malevolence.

Regardless of that…Mugen felt small arms hug his legs. She ran _to_ him…rather than away… Some of the blood smeared onto her orangey yukata, the killer noticed. Kokoro was crying again and it kind of reminded him of something like Fuu if she were little; both cried all the time but neither were afraid of him no matter what he did, or to whom. How strange… The little girl sobbed "I'm sorry Mugen-'nii-chan, I'm so sorry."

Mugen turned around and crouched down to meet her face to face. "It's alright kid; now tell me everything that happened."

Not missing a single detail, she elaborated through momentary snivels on all that had befallen Fuu. Each word was getting Mugen further frustrated, for does a day exist where Fuu _doesn't_ get in trouble? "UGH! That dumb fucking bitch! How many goddamn times have I told her stupid ass not to get kidnapped?! That idiot never listens to anything I say! She shoulda' stayed near people, but _no_! That dumb bimbo had to pull some retarded shit and stray away from the crowds! Fuck, this PISSES ME OFF!"

…When Mugen completed the rant, he finally realized that someone…little and innocent still accompanied his presence. Her mouth was a complete "o". For some reason, she seemed more surprised about Mugen's coarse form of vocabulary over him killing a man!

"Shit… Hey, don't tell the girl about this after I save her 'kay? I'm not supposed to be swearin' around you, kid. Let's keep it between us." Cold fingers grazed his own disheveled hair.

"Alright. I promise!" Kokoro smiled, a little too enthusiastically…which made Mugen narrow suspicious eyes.

Mugen returned to the wall he'd hid behind where he'd also set the bag of two goldfish down, now handing them over. "Here then, take care of Jin and uh…Mugen while I'm gone. Imma' get the girl, alright?" Together they walked to the inn where Fuu and himself had been staying for the last week and instructed her to hide out there until the trouble died down, and he would return.

"Onii-chan…" her doubtful squeak caused him to turn.

"Hah?"

"You're gonna come back with Fuu? And then you're gonna find my mom?" There was a faded hint of distress, and Mugen wasn't about lie to her. He may be a criminal, a killer, an evil son of a bitch. But he didn't enjoy lying.

"Yup. So don't answer the door until you hear my voice."

With that said, the sliding door delicately shut and the man headed into the humid evening to search for, find and finally: to save a clumsy girl with danger revolving in circles upon overlapping circles around her.

* * *

><p>As the brunette began to regain consciousness, her glassy eyes sluggishly adjusted…to find herself<em> completely<em> surrounded. And Kokoro was gone...That may have been a good thing if they didn't catch her.

They were watching her, she knew, with an almost _sickening_ fascination._ 'Why does this always happen to me? I swear I have the worst luck…'_ Instinct caused the captive to try and squirm a distance from their perverse ogles and perspire bullets at the same time. No good… Her wrists and ankles were both securely bound by a roughly tied cord digging ruthlessly into her pasty skin, rubbing it raw. The leader—as he seemed to be, through numerous tattoos, older than most…and outwardly intimidating—began speaking to the captive from across the room. He sat lazily on a mat, legs spread and a toothy, carnal smile on his face.

"You know Nozomi, your husband Kaito was a smart man. He first took thousands of koban from my gang and then left his _poor little wife and daughter _to pay for the expenses." In a situation despite the danger, Fuu would probably, _stupidly _end up saying something clever. The yakuza realized this; they'd tied a cloth around her loud mouth, preventing her from constructing any noise whatsoever; several mumbles could alone, break free with no such impact.

"We'll give you one last chance. Where. Is. Kaito?"

One of the men, younger than the greasy leader, reached over to remove the cloth around her lips. To that, she gave them a _damn good_ answer: a knee to the groin! The man hissed and another lackey got up to readjust the gagging material.

"Or maybe you have all the money stashed away in that house of yours. Maybe when we're done with you and your _precious _little girl, we'll storm your house and sell your belongings too. Maybe you're hiding _him and all that koban there_, eh. We told you we'd find you. This is your husband's fault. _Not ours_. So if you want to hate someone, hate him." Their boss approached the tied up body, grabbed the edge of the girl's tipped chin. She made a muffled noise caused by the raggedy fabric preventing her from talking; so she spoke in other ways, narrowing her eyes with anger and defiantly jerking her head to the side. His grip was tight though and the disobedience merely caused the yakuza boss to smack the young woman flat across the face. It hurt…and teardrops were inevitable.

His hands began creeping along her pink cloth, touching the crimson obi, laughing nauseatingly with each movement of his spider-like claws of hands. There was nothing she could do besides flail like a fish out of water or release another stifled scream; more useless, more defenseless…

How did she end up in this predicament?

'_Mugen. Mugen. Mugen.'_Fuu chanted in mind, over and over like a prayer in the hopes that he'd appear. _'He always shows up, he'll be here. He'll be here!'_

But she remembers quickly what Mugen said…that he wasn't going to go out of his way to save her anymore, how it wasn't his job…_or a promise_. He was going to go off and have fun, wouldn't concern himself over what _could_ befall her doomed fate. Salty water pooled in doe eyes. She couldn't tell if her heartbeat rose…

...or just died.

He began to untie the obi from her waist, the whole group shamelessly watching as he relieved her shoulder of the rose colored material. The disgusting goon smelled her collarbone all the way to her neck, while lowering the clothes further. Beyond appalled by the actions, Fuu wanted the gift of her voice returned; to she could only close her eyes, and imagine this wasn't happening...that it was just another nightmare she used to wake up to back in Edo when Mugen and Jin were no longer around... _Not here. Not by men like this. No…_

'_MUGEN!'_

Suddenly, a deafening racket that resembled the cracking of wood echoed from across the room.

Out of nowhere, sharp splinters flew hazardously and men collapsed as a male in dark red crashed through the door of the hut, knocking over several of the mobster affiliates on the way. Quickly, they raised their swords and charged at him, just to have their blades blocked, then pushed back. One last time, they infringed the space between the intruder and their attacks, only to descend to the solid ground. Fuu's heart rate returned, pounding away as if that were _her_ being attacked rather than the men when an arrogant guy stood in their place. Puddled masses of blood spewed across the floor, enraging the superior who got up abandoning the vulnerable female.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! I OWN THIS TOWN! You think you're gonna get away with killing my men?!" Their boss plucked his sword and pointed it at Mugen who in response, spat at the ground with utter boredom.

He leaned forward and lifted his sword to his shoulder in a –_without a doubt_—cocky stance. "_Hell yeah_ I do."

The infuriated middle aged man dashed to the vagrant without warning and Mugen couldn't restrain a grin when he rolled across the floor to escape the parallel swing.

Mugen ran at him at that time, the yakuza leader freezing as he backed up to the wall, semi afraid now of this demon; where the last thing he saw wasn't a flash of light…a tunnel, or a quick re-run of his own pitiful existence. Instead, the gleaming eyes of a feral man and his mouth peeled in a remorseless smile was the last image he saw.

Fuu turned her head away just as the claymore made contact.

One stab, a small gurgle, head hanging lopsidedly; he was dead, having been impaled to the wall. The other members of the gang stared in horror at their boss' unmoving body. The sword he held rattled to the floor "Mannn, I'm kinda disappointed. All that big talk and look how easy." He went to clean off the sharp side of the blade with the yakuza commander's sleeve. "Well, what 'rya gonna do now? Your boss is dead. If any of you fuck with people in this town again, I won't hesitate to kill _scum_ like you. The authorities are comin' too. Better run… Got it?" As the rest of the living members stared dumbfounded more than anything else, Mugen smirked and tugged the claymore from its place in the leader's chest, which slid sickeningly down the wall with a trail of red moving along with it. In the time it took to bat an eye, the rest ran out. They were all petrified they'd lose their miserable excuses for lives in addition to their careless leader.

"Look at 'em, scamperin' like rats. It's like they're nothing without their head-honcho!"

When he turned around is when the crooked savior noticed: clothes disorientated, cheeks covered in dampening trails of liquid. It'd been a long time since she witnessed death so very close by, something Fuu almost believed she'd never have to witness again. Conversely, this wasn't in any way the reason for the sudden rush of physical emotion pouring across her face. She blinked repeatedly to stop them.

"Did you…did he try to touch you?" Mugen asked. She merely nodded in response.

There was a sudden impulse to punch something.

Taking blade in hand, the excessive bonds of twine were cast away, as was the cloth covering her lips. When her hands were freed, she quickly stirred to fix her obi and kimono, embarrassed to have Mugen see her appearance in such a…_defenseless _state. _Fuu became_ _beyond surprised when her hands were shooed away by his._

"You don't have to…" the young woman said, a pint-sized notch above a whisper.

"Keep quiet for a sec." While just staring at the barrage of designs on the wall, he clutched her ruffled kimono in long fingers to readjust it back to her shoulder. She surveyed him keenly and couldn't help the blush that it was _Mugen _doing this of all people.

It was a surprise to Fuu…that she felt very hot.

The thought of the hero or the knight in shining armor saving the girl was laughable to Fuu. It was after all, always _him _that came back for her. And he was far from having good morality or whatever assets heroes possessed that made them...well…"heroes".

He refused to look at her face or pale, soft skin and refrained from saying a word. _No insult or comment._ As he made the last adjustments of fixing her messy attire, he helped her jelly-filled legs stand straight.

Then he looked at her face. Did he see how pink it was?

"T-took your time to get here, I see." she stated rudely…mainly to hide it.

"And it seems you go out of your way to get in trouble. You thought I wasn't gonna show…" This time, there was only a half nod in return. "Come on, girlie. We're getting out a' here before the authorities are called. I might get blamed even if they were yakuza or not."

Fuu nodded in return and then…her heart strained with distress once more.

"Where…where is Kokoro?"

"The kid's fine. So come on, we still gotta find her ma."

On both ends, neither made further mention of what _could have_ happened had her funny excuse of a liberator _not _shown up at that exact, precise moment. He said he wouldn't but he did. Fuu was beyond grateful for that and Mugen…Mugen didn't know _what_ to feel.

* * *

><p>Back at the hotel he called out for the child, and heard the thumping of her tiny feet excitedly running to the door as a result. As it opened, she scuddled out, jumping to hug Fuu, in such high spirits over her being unharmed. "You're safe, you're safe!" Kokoro thankfully chimed.<p>

As the trio exited, Fuu started up "Did you ever think that her mother was waiting at her house for the yakuza to come for her? Maybe she thought Kokoro was already taken away and the yakuza were going to take her next. They were planning on trashing her house anyway, so we should check there. Kokoro, do you know the way home?" she nodded and grabbed Fuu's hand as they walked out of the inn and down the streets like nothing had ever occurred.

"We could'a saved a lotta' time if we'd have just done this." an airy scoffed broke free.

"Look on the bright side. That gang is done for…thanks to you."

"You saved the day Mugen-'nii-chan!" the child added happily.

When he in a short glance…saw Kokoro clutch Fuu's hand, it stirred something in the back of mind; she was like a mother, a caretaker to the little one. One, day the sunflower girl he'd seen evolve through their disorderly history together would settle down and undoubtedly raise a family—content with living in one place with a house, husband and maybe even a child or two of her own.

Unlike Fuu and Jin, he was an endlessly wandering vagrant that solely allowed himself to go with the flow of the wind. Even Jin would one day settle down… _'…with her?_' he couldn't stop that possibility because he never understood his two companion's closeness.

In reality, no one would love him, a dirty criminal. It would defy sensible logic. _'Tch…family isn't something I'll ever have.' _Mugen tended, even if rarely, to wonder what it would be like to live a different life from his own…

…but that wouldn't ever be his way.

A now familiar tugging of his gi made him snap out of this daydream, where the forever smiling Kokoro stood determined to recapture his focus. "Hold my hand too, Mugen-nii'-chan." Fuu who strolled beside her, also waited expectedly.

"Sorry, but I'm not the _'holding hands'_ type of guy."…actually something he'd never done in his entire life. Kokoro wouldn't take no for answer as she pleaded with him. Mugen looked to Fuu imploringly and she gave back a smile too.

So the stubborn man did, _only because_ he didn't want her to start whining and crying like she usually does when he doesn't listen or Fuu to get all worked up over nothing either. Kokoro squeezed his hand snugly, almost like she didn't want him to let go on them.

The three strolled towards her mother's house, Kokoro stuck between the two adults—who each held one of her hands—Fuu on the left, Mugen on the right.. For Mugen, it was an extremely awkward experience; they looked like her parents as some older women fondly watched and smiled. _'Is this what family feels like?'_ he had to ask himself, never feeling this emotion due to having no parents at such a young age.

At the entrance of Kokoro and Nozomi's house, Mugen loudly banged on the door. A sound was heard from the other side; sounded like a hoarse woman's voice. "You've already taken my daughter, and you plan to take me too? I have nothing left. Do as you wish… You've already…taken everything from me." were the mumbles, dreary and lifeless in tone.

"Hey lady, open the door before you open your mouth!" Sure, he was being a prick and he knew it. However, the skilled swordsman had been beyond relieved when hearing the hushed response from beyond the sliding door of the ramshackle wooden dwelling.

"Mom, it's me!"

At the sound of her daughter's voice, the woman hurried to the entry and the trio awaited readily as something on the door clicked, and ever so slowly the wood panel shifted to the right. They caught a glimpse of Nozomi who looked like she'd been through complete hell on earth; her whole face was covered in dried up tears, and her eyes were puffy and pink. But as she'd carefully opened it fully, the mother's expression seemed to brighten up.

"Ko…koro? Kokoro!" Again crying, Nozomi collapsed to her knees in a heap and joyously embraced her previously missing daughter who too began to cry. Even Mugen and Fuu felt the sentimental vibes of the scene, Fuu more of course. When her mother was alive, they were like this…until Fuu went through her rebellious stage of her teenage years; now she regretted every petty argument.

"We took care of the yakuza, so you won't have to worry anymore. Just give us somethin' to eat in return. I'm starvin'." Mugen said, a little too rudely than he wanted. Either away, Nozomi was at a complete loss for words, bowing and thanking them over and over, offering anything in the house they desired.

They were guided in as some sticky rice and river carp from the nearby stream were steamed. Kokoro was especially happy now with the added company of their little home. As they sat and ate, Nozomi explained to them the story of her husband's gambling addiction and how they'd become involved with the gang's affairs. The reason of her sudden separation with her daughter was so Kokoro could be given a chance, as small as it was, to escape since the yakuza were already chasing Nozomi… She had hoped some kind soul would find her daughter if she indeed was killed since there were mere minutes to escape them; except, she ended up escaping as well, her daughter Kokoro no longer being in sight.

"Umm…will you be safe now? I mean, there might be people still looking for you." Fuu interrupted, then lifting a slice of fish back to her teeth.

"We might go to Edo, I have some relatives living there. Surely I can start my life over. We'll be fine… And…thank you, for everything."

"You'll be safe long as you don't cause problems like me and this girl did back in that city. And don't take the kid outta your sight. This lil' rascal gets into all sorts of trouble." He tousled her ebony hair again, Kokoro protesting with a whine as the three of adults laughed. Mugen nor Fuu explained what exactly happened with the yakuza, but the mother kind of figured—noticing the sword resting peacefully against the table, with a tiny splotch of red just on the handle.

She watched as Kokoro laughed and smiled in their saviors' presence, having grown quite fond of them already. Like many others have, she mistook them for a couple. "You two will make wonderful parents, I bet. When are you planning on having a child of your own?"

"NEVER! Not with this bitch anyway."

"What did I tell you about swearing?!" Mugen almost said something back but Kokoro crept up to Fuu and whispered to her.

'_Oh shit, oh shit.'_

"He said _what_, when I was gone?!" the older girl evilly snapped her knuckles, Mugen preparing for the worst storm to come.

Before Fuu was chanced in giving Mugen some five hour lecture he deserved, an intervention managed to somehow be, in luck. "You two remind me of a story I heard about from my husband's friend." Nozomi laughed and continued. "There were two people who traveled with him that constantly argued day in and day out, but it turns out that they were closer than they showed…"

"We're _not_ close, really!" The two parties yelled simultaneously.

After a while of eating, Kokoro proudly held up the two goldfish that were caught earlier in the day. "Look at this mommy! This one is Jin-'nii-chan like that man you knew and this one is Mugen-'nii-chan!"

"…Like that man…you knew?" Fuu set down her wooden bowl and chopsticks carefully, looking to the mother and daughter with both hope and surprise. As did Mugen as well, making a small noise of "Hah." through bits of rice.

"Jin… She liked to call him Anii-chan. That was the name of my husband's friend. Wait…you wouldn't happen to be… Does that mean _you're _Mugen and…Fuu?"

"You know Jin (Four-eyes)!" It seemed like they were on a roll today with overlapping each other's voices with similar phrases.

"W-why yes I did, he came here a while ago to help my husband pay off some of his many debts owed to the gang of this town. Although he didn't speak much, he definitely was a good person. When he seldom did talk, he mentioned you two."

"Can't believe that dumbass actually talks about us." He half laughed, half scowled in response of Jin's odd behavior. Fuu too beamed widely at this amazing coincidence. Maybe it truly was the fates that brought them all together and surely they'd find Jin soon. "We're actually looking for him. Do you know where he went recently?"

"Hmm…no. I believe he headed west for some unfinished business. But that was months ago. He said he'd send letters after he became more settled. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance."

After eating and sharing the tales of their adventures to find a sunflower samurai, Mugen and Fuu were invited to join them to see the hanabi the minute settlement displayed directly after Edo's Sumida River fireworks that would be shown momentarily. Kokoro of course, begged them to tag along and Mugen really couldn't say _no_.

"Didn't you say something earlier about 'going to have some fun tonight'?" Fuu mock imitated his husky voice, repeating the stuck up words he'd said earlier.

"You'd get kidnapped if I'm gone for three seconds. You've already proved that too many times for me ta' bother listin'."

Fuu always thought she figured out everything there was to Mugen. Well sure, she barely knew his past and the many hardships he had to endure. When you travel with someone for so long though, you notice a person's characteristics or habits and these were some of the things she noticed when they traveled together to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. But here she was, on a new journey and something seemed…different. Every waking moment when she wasn't paying attention, she'd discover something strange about Mugen that she never knew before.

"Hey…" The brunette seventeen year old poked Mugen's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I never got the chance to say it but…thanks for today. For coming back to save me."

Mugen shrugged, and Fuu completely missed the next mumble he'd given back because the gunpowder fireworks' ripped through the calming tempo of silence and the colorful exploding of excitement buried off any other sound. They had just begun.

After that, the four walked on, brightening into smiles, together safe and sound. Stunning flare-ups of rainbow colors shattered in the darkened sky, greeting their path…unlike the stars. After all their troubles, it was all worth it in the end to watch the fireworks display. Not only that, they possessed a new clue to the whereabouts of their elusive friend.

Soon, they'd depart and continue on their travels.

_**~To Be Continued~ **_

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><p>[AN]: _Well that's the story of Kokoro and Nozomi. Just like the anime, it's a journey. And each story is separate parts of the journey. Except…the anime was a lot more interesting ahahah. And I have a lot more romance than action though… ahaha...ha…O.o_

**Kaito-** _(Kokoro's father and Nozomi's husband, in case anyone forgot). _The kanji for it mean "kai" which is the sea/ocean, combined with "to", soar/fly. I named him that because he left their life by choice, like he "flew" away or perhaps left overseas to flee the country after amassing debt.

**Koban/Ryo- **second largest gold coin currency used in the Tokugawa era before yen was used. One koban/ryo is equal to forty monme which were silver coins. One koban/ryo was also equal to 4000 mon, which were brass coins.

**Hanabi**- annual firework viewing. This small village is directly northwest of Edo which was and still is the infamous hubbub of summer firework displays which are mainly in July and August (Edo is nowadays Tokyo). The Sumida River fireworks are probably the most famous and old of them. So, I wrote it where right after Edo's fireworks are shown, they light up their own hanabi so even the lesser towns can enjoy the commemoration…which may have been true.

Fuu: *giggles*

Mugen: What's up with you? Weirdo.

Fuu: Well, Kokoro reminded me of when I was little so I'm trying to imagine you as a kid. *giggles again.*

Me: …He was never born. He was spawned by the creators of Samurai Champloo.

Fuu and Mugen: What the hell are you talking about?

Me: …Never mind….I know too much.

Fuu: By the way, what ever happened to Momo?

Mugen: …He tried killing me so I ran away, and now I don't know where he is.

Fuu: Hmmm…

Mugen: You sound like Four-eyes.

Fuu: Ah... *giggles*

_Why do I have such difficulty imagining Mugen as a child?_

_Reviews are always loved, remember that!_

_**End of Chapter 7**_


	10. Chapter 8 Spectral Seeking

_**Chapter 8 Spectral Seeking**_

{Original Title: Who Ever Said the Dead Were Silent?}

[A/N]: _Konnichiwa nya! (Why am I a cat?) O.o I wish I would've posted this on Halloween_

…_For extra effect in this chapter (if you don't already have it like this), change your Fanfiction page color to black with white font instead of the normal white page with black font._

**REFERENCE- **Sharing an umbrella with someone else can strongly be considered a romantic gesture in Japanese culture.

_A good friend of mine in real life, ImparedImpala helped me with more ideas for this chapter. She introduced me to the strange world of Silent Hill…and the rapist Pyramid Head…Beware. If you lose your wife or daughter DON'T FRICKIN' GO THERE! Forget those bitches….Anyway, thank you ImparedImpala! I guess this has some Amnesia references too… _

_But the one that creeps me out more than any other video game…"Mad Father" anyone?_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc. Are you serious? You really think I own it, being a poor Laotian girl dressed in a baggy jeans and a t-shirt? You _my friend_, are an…otaku. Lol, umm that's my modified quote from the Amazing Spiderman. I LOVE THAT MOVIE! And no, I don't own any rights to Spiderman, Silent Hill, Amnesia or anything else… But I'll always love you Andrew Garfield. XD

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 8 Spectral Seeking<strong>_

Wind picked up severely over the course of the summer night. Strong gusts ruffled the leaves of the craggily trees, reaching their mangled branch arms to any unaware travelers walking along the muck covered paths. Howling in cacophony, the air also hung a thick and muggy numbness about the ground. No stars were out and even the moon hid from onlookers, covered by black clouds that swallowed virtually all radiance. Every object, every shape seemed like a bleak shadow in this…seemingly _eternal_ night. That tree over there…could be a person, as for the odd angled bush over yonder…it could be a tengu…

A wandering man turned to the female at his side, stopping momentarily in his filth covered tracks.

"It's gonna rain soon." Mugen stated aloud, squinting towards the murky billows now upon them. His senses were always remarkably in tuned to nature which captivated Fuu's interest, though it was something she'd never bother to share with the male. At that same second—right on time—she looked above, only to be hit smack dab in the forehead by a weighty droplet of water.

The two looked down their darkened path further ahead. They noticed but a small fragment of illumination in the distance. "Mouuu….We have to reach that inn before it starts pouring…" Fuu grumbled, picking up the pace of her own jaded feet.

Soon the first raindrop was accompanied by another…then another…and then another…until Mugen began cursing up at the blotted sky and Fuu waved her fists around. Both travelers were jogging towards the inn, soaked to the bone in a short moment and the farther they went, the worse the rain appeared to beat down on them viciously. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" The female yelled to the gods who must've surely been laughing at their misfortune of being entrapped in the midst of a torrential downpour.

After they'd left the last town just north of Edo—bidding their reluctant farewells to Kokoro and Nozomi—they'd been heading for a straightforward course west. Interesting…how they were headed west again, just like _that_ time.

It had completely slipped Mugen's mind to mention there was to be a squall earlier, which didn't go without a string of heated complaints from Fuu...who was more than happy to provide them. "You'd think we would've made _plans _for things like this!"

"You'd think for a moment you'd quit your bitchin'!" he argued on.

"Well_ MAYBE_ you could've warned me earlier so I could buy umbrellas before we left the last town!"

We barely got enough for an inn and ya wanna waste money on umbrellas?!"

Their feet still splashed on the puddles even as they argued, Fuu giving a shriek when mud stuck in between her sockless toes." "There's enough for one!"

"I ain't sharin' an umbrella with YOU!"

"WHO SAID I'D_ WANT_ TO SHARE ONE WITH YOU?! JERK!" Fuu finally screamed over the incessant pattering of the rain, her ringing shout challenging the volumes the sky's orchestra performed. Truly, her voice rivaled it.

Slowly the faint glow in the distance grew closer until the whole entire inn's worn outline shown unmistakably even in the glummest of light, a streak, while a small one, still a slim streak of optimism for the two.

Sloshing against the large puddles of liquid, they must have been sprinting by now.

Step, turn, dodge puddle, step, pivot, step, trip, shriek, almost fall in puddle; that eventually became Fuu's unique dance in the rain. He was surprised that as clumsy as the woman could be, she was almost keeping up with his pace of running honed after years of crafty bill dodging.

"YES! We made it!" The teenage girl waved her hands in the air. These same motions she would usually execute when she'd won a fortune gambling or something. Mugen just grunted in return and burst into the entrance of the building, practically breaking the corroded hinges of the door.

Inside, the inn created a genuine homely feel to the travelers; the lanterns were bright, it was warm and dry, and everything _felt _completely perfect. Grabbing the hem of the kimono, she rung out the cloth and caused the excess drips of water to splash against the floor. Her companion meanwhile, shook his wild black mane like the ruthless mutt he was, and tapped his stilted shoes to dry off. A massive pool formed beneath where they stood.

At least she'd get a decent amount of sleep tonight, _with a warm fluffy mattress, and hopefully a nice bath,_ Fuu recalled_._ There was only one problem; customers already lined up at the front desk and the couple just ahead in the excessive line apparently paid for the last available room. Mugen and Fuu's jaws solidly dropped.

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!" Now it was Mugen's turn to yell. Brutal hands slammed against the inn's counter. "We just ran when it's pouring like a frickin' monsoon and you expect us to just stroll on outta here again? You gotta be shittin' me!"

As for the innkeeper, she humbly bowed her head multiple times to the scary male ready to annihilate someone_, anyone_; her being the first. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. All our rooms are completely booked and some are bunking with others. Since it started raining, clientele flooded in. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." _Oh_, but Mugen wouldn't take no for answer…and now the petite girl had to hold him back from killing the timeworn woman.

"Come on, forget it. We'll just go back out in the rain again."

"I ain't sleeping in the rain. Are you?!"

"You think I'm happy about this?!" The two quarreled amongst themselves again before turning towards the hazy windows, watching the rain still relentlessly pelting the building. There was no choice left. Having lost all hope of enjoying sleep, they sighed, trudged towards the door, the vagrant swearing up _his own_ _storm_ beneath his breath, finally having that privilege back. Yay.

That's when the innkeeper halted their loathing feet by speaking up in her gentle, elderly voice once more. "Wait! There might be a place for you to stay. Not here, but there's shelter about a half a mile south of this inn…but…"

"Alright!" Subsequently, Mugen already went to exit and _consequently_ got roughly yanked back with the neckline of his scarlet clothing…by Fuu.

"Will you let her finish? I swear, you're _always_ in a rush." She unyieldingly dragged Mugen towards the clerk desk against the man's will—his steel geta screeched against timbered floorboards.

"…Well, the place I mentioned is actually an estate that's been there for about a hundred years. More than several years ago, it was abandoned because the entire family of nobles is now dead."

The seventeen year old's interest was piqued as she fully faced the old and frail innkeeper who seemed to be quite nervous, fidgeting here and there… "So…why didn't anyone ever buy it or tear it down?"

"This is exactly why I stopped you before you left. Apparently every time someone goes near the house to fix it up or stay there for a night, they either run away or end up going missing…" the elder answered. Mugen rudely picked at his ear, flicking the disgusting wax onto the floor, simulating loss of interest already.

There was a strong howling of wind…

So Fuu kept the conversation going after turning away from the pelted frames, having glanced outside. "Why?"

"Some say that the evil spirit of the wife of the owner resides there…The reason the whole family is dead is because they were brutally massacred by one of their trusted servants who wanted their inheritance, and wasn't willing to wait for the unlikely possibility of the entire family dying before him. Only the wife survived because she was visiting the capitol. When she returned, she found out of her families' death...caused by her favorite servant, her friend. She was overcome with deep grief and sorrow…so she…"

"She what?"

"She slit her throat on a rainy night like this. Shortly after, the police said the murderer of the family returned to look for their hidden savings…and later his corpse was found in the house, mangled. Only one man was ever able to stay there for a whole night and lived to tell about it." Even as the innkeeper spoke, she was practically shivering, truly afraid of the story she dared to speak of. "But the police…didn't bother to research further. Maybe they were scared as well…"

"Or maybe this is all bullshit." The ex-pirate, with all the shit he'd seen in life, didn't believe any of this for a second; while Fuu looked over her shoulder with genuine fear held deep in her eyes. Again, Mugen started off and Fuu had to once again grip his haori tightly to prevent such departure.

"Who was the man who survived a night there?" she'd asked.

"He was just a simple ronin in gray who needed a place to stay a while back. The wanderer couldn't afford a room, so he asked if there was shelter. When he returned here the following morning, he said something was definitely _wrong_ there. He also said to not desecrate any of the belongings or look for the family treasures that the servant coveted. Only people who take things or attempted to destroy the house went missing. But then…those could be rumors. Most never even visit the house or come back to this inn afterwards to tell their story anyway. The police dismissed any allegations."

Gray! That was the same color Jin was wearing when they parted ways!

"Well, did that guy… have long black hair tied in a ponytail, really pale and umm…reserved?" With a quizzical look, the owner of the inn nodded her head at the strangely accurate inference on the samurai's characteristics. "Did he have glasses?" Another nod. It_ had_ to be Jin. No question about it. That's when her companion grinned a wicked way...for if Jin could survive in that supernatural place, he sure as hell was capable of such a deed too!

With that, his vigor couldn't be suppressed by Fuu any longer, and he was out the door by the time she looked back to him. "Jin must have gotten a new pair of glasses, huh Mugen. …Mugen? HEY, WAIT!"

Fuu quickly thanked her for all the information but the innkeeper still offered more to provide; albeit the room they actually needed more than anything else. She reached under the counter and placed a few candles and matches into Fuu's hands before the traveler followed he companion to the exit. The old woman's crow's feet in the corners gave way when her eyes squinted, though she smiled warmly and motioned towards the weather-beaten wood of the door, wrinkles tugging at her reminiscent lips. "That man…he is young and brash still. Hopefully you can straighten him out."

"Hopefully." Fuu giggled, bowing in gratitude and waving goodbye to the kind old proprietor.

Shortly after, she caught up, both their efforts to dry off in the inn in vain as soon as they wandered to the open air. "Hey, Mugen! Stop for a second!" Just by his fiery expression, she could easily foresee that he would _want_ to have a run-in with the supposed spirit that occupied the mansion. "Do you really think that you can slay a ghost? What do you think, _you're God_ or something?" Brown hair stuck to her face and arms were crossed over her chest in a disbelieving mannerism.

"You believe what that old crone told ya? Tch…there ain't no such thing as ghosts. People are just going crazy." He shook his head, accidentally pelting the already disgruntled Fuu directly in the face with more drops of liquid in the process...

The seventeen year old gave him another scowl. "Don't be rude! She was nice!"

"Yeah. Nice right after she t_hrew us out into the rain_ to fend for our own sorry asses."

"_Ughhh. Besides_, that man that survived a night there might have been Jin and he said-"

"Obviously, he has some screws loose too then. And we ain't even sure it _was _him. Don't get your hopes too high up, 'cause they'll end up being crushed."

She just stared back with a complete dumbfounded expression; recognizing halfheartedly how unbelievable Mugen could be. "You make it sound like…like we won't e_ver _find him."

No answer was given.

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><p>In a short while of depressing trudging in the relentless torrent, an ethereal structure in the distance came into view. It was truly old—the long unkempt grass grew without management, the gateway leading to the small courtyard was rusted and unmanaged, hanging ajar, a stony well there having lost several of its rocks making the structure crumble—bark peeled trees concealed it especially in the darkness.<p>

Easier than Mugen expected, the thick wooden doors to the estate slid open with a lifeless creak after he'd shunted them ajar. Even if the house was abandoned, Fuu removed her zori at the door. As did Mugen remove his footwear, kicking the geta off rudely. _'At least he takes off his shoes.'_ she laughed to herself. Momo peered uneasily from the front collar of her kimono. Then, he glided back outside into the pouring rain… "M-momo-san!"

Carefully, they took steps into the unlit main foyer. _Cold_; that was the most sudden change from the outside and the very first thought that came to mind…even though the humidity of rain filled August was unbearable.

There was a loud thump in the distance and Fuu quickly grasped Mugen's toned arm out of surprise. Mugen nudged her off in annoyance. "Will you let go? Stop being so clingy, ya wuss."

"Well, this wasn't my idea. This place is _really_ creepy…"

"I'll be happy to throw you out into the rain again, if you'd like." Giving her a devious grin, she huffed in annoyance while walking deeper into the center of the peculiar abode.

Throughout all of the rooms, there were large amounts of dust cohesively layered upon the expensive furniture and wood paneled floors. Fuu traced her finger delicately against a partly cracked mirror coated with dirt and cobwebs in the corners…half expecting to not see her own reflection looking back from its damaged surface. Mugen looked to the walls and noticed numerous colored canvases, the paper old and weathered as well as porcelain statues and antiques. One caught his attention which was a ukiyoe print of a woman with flowing black hair down to the waist, hand positioned on her lap and her skin a deathly pale. "Must've been the lady of the house.'' he gestured and Fuu nodded.

After locating the spare bedrooms that were abundantly positioned in the lengthy corridor, they walked into one. There, Fuu found a lamp which she lit. Unlike the other rooms, it was less fancy… The wallpaper was dingy and there were several holes poking through the paper sliding door. Fuu feared it was the same bedroom the servant that was killed inhabited. Expecting Mugen to stay, she found herself mistaken…

"…Where are you going?" arose her question and the man who turned away felt a vein throb in his temple.

"Gettin' some shut eye. Don't know about you though. Nighty night." He shooed her off with a motion of the hand but _boy_, Fuu was _persistent_.

"Wait, Mugen! What about the gho-"

"I don't wanna hear it."

"But-"

Again, she was abruptly cut off. "Nuh-uh. Go to sleep."

"Mugen!" Right when she could get another word in, Mugen already pushed her into the room she'd be residing in until morning and roughly slid the door shut to get the damn point across. No way was he going to listen to her complaints all night about a nonexistent spirit. _'Screw that!'_

She sighed and shook her head disapprovingly at Mugen's uncaring behavior. "I can't believe he just threw me in here by myself, _what a jerk_." Just because he'd always been supposedly "fearless", it didn't mean the former tea house waitress was. He lacked empathy or concern…of any kind; which Fuu knew she should've expected from Mugen anyway…

Her clothes were still soaking wet so she let down her flowing tresses that grew through the years and undid the top layer of the kimono to lay it out to dry. Only covered in her pale white juban clothing that clung like a second skin, she quickly covered her sodden form in the hopes of drying off.

Few candles and the dim hue of that one lantern lit were the only source of luminosity capable of surpassing the expansive darkness of the entire manor. This place seemed so…eerie in every regard of the word. _'I wish the innkeeper hadn't even told me that ghost story…It's all in my head…'_

Sanity dwindled at the sole thought of being accompanied by the undead.

Secretly—something only her long ago finished diary knew—she felt much safer when her lewd former bodyguard guarded her from somewhere nearby. Of course, she'd deny that she _needed_ him since she promised herself to be independent, not depend on people…especially men that so readily displayed their loathing towards her. Besides, the bastard would more likely tease her _forever_ about it._'Mugen, you idiot… Obviously, you don't care. Whether there's thieves, killers or ghosts, you always…always act like you could care less! You could AT LEAST protect the defenseless girl! Geez!'_

_Sometimes, she still would debate if he cared at all._ It was always like she were helpless…or just plain_ pitied_ upon by the fighter. For some reason her stomach started churning at the thought; how she was undoubtedly useless in matters related to survival. What could he possibly need _her_ for? Fuu shut her eyes as tight as possible, planning to block out the creaking of the old house, the pouring rain, and chiefly the image of _Mugen_. Fuu was relieved to sleep.

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><p>In the neighboring room, Mugen removed all of his wet upper body clothing—unclasping the red jacket, then pulling off the crisscrossed, tattered shirt— and made himself comfy on one of the guest bedroom's futons. It was soft and plushy, maybe a little too much considering how he was so used to sleeping on hard floors and such. He yawned at full volume, sprawling his legs about until his body seemed suited for undisturbed rest. The rhythmic pelting of water on the roof gave a lulling melody, as he folded his arms behind his damp hair, listening.<p>

This journey…he really hadn't had time lately to think about what he was doing traveling with the broad again, couldn't understand _why _he bothered. There must have been a reasonable answer, _and there was_. _'To find fish face, yeah that's it.'_ He assured himself, not questioning his recent peculiar actions and worry for Fuu. In a way, that wasn't really recent either…Before he'd think _"Where the hell is that bitch? She better not have gotten herself killed. What do I care?"_

…and then he'd search for her two seconds later out of his bodyguard duty or whatever else that title reluctantly became.

It always had to be the ex-criminal, the devil of a man to go back—sprint back—and save the girl from all the dangers of the world, huh. Separated by just a painted wall, he wondered if she was in that other room, terrified by every noise she heard. _'Damn it, I gotta get away from this bitch. She needs to learn to fend for herself! I'm not always gonna be around to save her and all that other bullshit…'_

_Yeah. Not always going to be around. Not with her. No way in hell would that happen._Everything must come to an end, even this journey; same like the last.

Last time, he'd been, along with Jin, tricked into helping her find an untraceable scent and be a bodyguard by the secretly conniving brat of only fifteen.

But now, he _chose_ to accompany her. And she agreed.

Maybe a year of being away from Fuu felt too strange…especially after getting used to someone who became the first main constant out of his entire patchy and erratic life.

Mugen even remembered _that _day; the very same day she walked away from him. His memories were so vivid and real that he wondered if dreams already consumed his fleeting coherency.

The skies were blue and sunny that summer afternoon and the clouds drifted by so peacefully. But he hadn't at all considered the sky or the clouds as he walked down the dirt path. Mugen thought about _her_. He had planted his geta firmly into the ground with every step. Well, that was his resolve, to keep moving forward because he'd been so confused. He'd grinned as he walked, truly. He wanted to be content—be a free soul again. And in a way he was; _content_; like he finished the impossible… Alas, each extra step creating further distance from the center of the crossroads revealed how pissed off he _was_. _About her, about everything._ Why had he been so frustrated that day…so irritated, so _fed up_? There was something else there, a nagging that he never gave the chance to be fully pushed away, while repressing it still... Was it because he never got to-

No, he wouldn't think about it anymore…the same day he _didn't_ look back to the pink he'd grown to tolerate, that gradually faded away behind his tensing shoulders and balling hands.

Little did he know, _she had done the same._

Fate led him to her once again, and that's how it was going to be. _'Until we find him, guess I'm stuck with ya.'_He snorted aloud, wondering if she too was as reluctant as he about traveling again…

Was he reluctant?

Before answering his own question, the whole topic was dropped entirely out of his thoughts; his flaring nostrils picked up on a peculiar smell. Mugen opened his eyes to welcome the darkness and noticed something hanging in the air.

Mugen didn't want to scare Fuu further, though he'd smelled this lingering stagnant odor all the way through the house. He sniffed again, taking in an abnormal scent of strong female perfume mixed with…blood? He knew the scent of blood well. Choosing to ignore it, he closed his eyes with the philosophy that at least it was a female ghost judging by that perfume in his presence. _'Hopefully, she's an attractive spirit.'_Mugen joked within himself before being allowed the privilege of being taken away by dreams.

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><p>Fuu soon found herself awoken with a start by the sound of an odd…scraping resonating from somewhere in the hallway. "Wha…" her groggy ogle slowly transported over towards the edge of the room to see nothing there…though something seemed to be pending, <em>closer<em>.

Even now, the rainstorm hadn't relented. It battered on the roof of the estate lacking any compassion. Lightning flashed in the distance, igniting the room in white flashes every few seconds more than candles flames possibly could. Thunder boomed from somewhere nearby, like a gong played for the preparation of war, only two seconds prior to the bursts of silver fractures cut into the room. But that loud din was much more comforting than the all too subtle one.

_Scratch. Scratch. Scratch._

It was the most disturbing noise her ears ever conceived, almost as if long nails were dragging leisurely against the floorboards in the hallway… Then it stopped. _'W-what was that?'_ Fuu sat up straight in her bedding, waiting for the sound once more. "Momo-san?"she asked, then she heard a squeak as the animal scampered from the floor and his rain soaked fur crawled all the way up her arm. "Eeah! Momo-san…Don't scare me like that, making noises and then jumping out of nowhere!" The animal soon fell asleep, tucked cozily against her bosom. "You brat…" It _must have_ been Momo's usual scratching; speaking of the animal, he'd been unusually on edge ever since they'd arrived, running off even in a thunderstorm… For some reason her surroundings all of a sudden felt incredibly cold and damp again. Just silence then…she sank back down.

And surely there it was for a second time, dragging against the ground in such a deliberately slow tempo. She jumped.

_Scratch. Scratch. Scratch._

It wasn't Momo.

"Ohhhhhh…I see. I'm not going to fall for some dumb prank." She spoke up now with newborn bravery from sudden realization. Still, the scraping progressed closer and closer to her. "Mugen, cut it out right now! I'm not that stupid!" she close to shouted at the oncoming noise, refusing to let doubt worm it's way and settle its parasitic nature into her terrified mind. Of course, it had to be that idiot pulling a joke on the unsuspecting girl…right? The scraping was now outside the door.

_Scratch. Scratch. Scratch._

The sound was an irritating itch to her ears, like a never-ending taunt to whoever became the unlucky listener. With another flash of light and the earthy rumbling thus following, a dark shadow on the floor outside the shoji door could be clearly alleged. Fuu practically jumped out of her skin as her heart raced faster and faster. Constant pounding of her startled pulse vibrated in her head. Hesitant in her actions, she questioned the noise with all the hope in the world that it was just an ex-criminal that she wasn't (although everyone else is for obvious reasons) afraid of.

"Mugen?"

_Scratch. Scratch. Scratch._

No response; just that faint _scratching_ drawing nearer and nearer with every passing minute. Fuu's skin felt itchy all over, sweat feeling dank from the unexpected coldness filling up the air. The draft was almost…constricting, choked her.

That's when she heard Mugen's soft snoring coming from the other room. If he was asleep, then what was outside the bedroom? _All of the color of her already pale face completely drained._

She would swear on her life that someone or_ something _rather_, _was staring back at her from the thinly separated shoji door. Her hands tightly gripped the edges of the elaborate embroidered blanket, waiting for the shadow to disappear. It did not, only stopped…and waited. The figure seemed to be…breathing heavily against the paper; Fuu could faintly hear the sound.

As if trying to frighten her further, the door slid at a painstakingly slow rate. The seconds ticking away felt like years of a curiosity she never wanted to find the answer to. She shivered, her gaze refusing to leave the sight of what caused the door's uncanny movement. _'It's all in my head, it's just a dream. Calm down, Fuu!'_

When a quick bolt of lightning ignited the room with flashes of white, the young woman saw a bloodshot eye partially covered by flowing black hair stare straight back at her, almost _through_ her. The figure's throat was cut, the blood staining the material of the traditional garb sagging from its bony shoulders and dripping the liquid of rustic red unto the floor as…

…_it _smiled.

"MUGEN!"

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]:

**REFERENCE- **Japanese ritual suicide or "seppuku" usually entailed someone cutting their stomach and disemboweling themselves. However in ritual female suicide or "jigai", wives of samurai would slit their throats for a quick death. A woman would bind her knees with rope to remain in a proper sitting position, so she wouldn't fall into an "undignified position" after convulsing before death. The creepy thing about this is their backs would sometimes face a door, so when authorities' entered, the woman would look like she's kneeling properly and alive… When really, she's already dead. That's why the ghost's legs are tied and she's crawling across the floor.

Mugen: *snoring and dreaming of beautiful big breasted women*

Momo: *sleeping peacefully and dreaming of sunflowers*

Me: Poor Fuu…

ImparedImpala: At least it's not Pyramid Head…or Chad…

Me: True…true… Everyone must fear the Chad.

_Maybe I should explain who Chad is… Let's just say he was a creepy friend of ours who…made really high pitched noises that scared the shit out of us. Hmm…to describe in words it would be mreherheheheh…Ummm…A better way to describe it is Flapjack and a satanic goat combined…on some really good crack. That's the noise he makes before he gets you while you sleep…_

_As always, Follow, Favorite and Review!_

_See you guys in the continuation, Chapter 9….until then, sleep well. Hmhmhmhmhmhm… Jin, get the hell out of here with your creepy laugh!_

_**End of Chapter 8**_


	11. Chapter 9 A Haunting Hallucination

_**Chapter 9 A Haunting Hallucination**_

{Original Title: A Good Night's Sleep…Hopefully}

[A/N]: _Yoyoyo! HA! Wasn't expecting that! Technically "Yo" is in the Japanese vocabulary because of English. _

_I went to the park anime convention Anibash in Rochester cosplayed as Fuu in 2012. Well…it started pouring so it was partially canceled. I find it coincidental that I walked in the rain as Fuu and they got caught in a rainstorm in the last chapter. Interesting…_

…_I originally wanted this story to be a subtle romance, yet I also wanted pronounced fluff. Gahh…different readers want different things and a balance was hard to reach…_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Well, I own Fuu's cosplay…Of course, I'll never be Fuu or anything…even if I met a Mugen lookalike only once in my life (WHO WAS A BREAKDANCER !). *sighhhh*

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 9 A Haunting Hallucination<strong>_

The shrill scream reverberated fitfully athwart the entire expanse of the manor, causing Mugen to leap out of bed, stub his toe on some random piece of furniture, curse like a maniac, draw his sword and crash full force into Fuu's room!

"What the hell happened?!" Mugen demanded—eyes flashing about, dim corner to dusty corner—in frantic search of the reason for her sudden cry. All that could be heard then, was the soft whimpers made by the girl beneath the excessive covers she'd thrown over herself. He sighed in frustration. Nevertheless, he found himself approaching her.

He wasn't expecting what occurred next. Not at all. Truly distraught was the teenager who grabbed Mugen and buried her head into his chest for protection from the supposed spirit. "Hey, whatever you screamed about is gone now." It was a gesture Mugen wasn't at all used to; uncharacteristically placing hands on her shoulders to calm down the woman who shuddered from fear…or his very touch.

"I-I saw something." claimed the young girl of seventeen, staring intensely behind Mugen as if something would appear and seize them both into obscure shadows without another trace to leave behind.

Nothing seemed to have lingered in their general vicinity besides the shadows from the lambent candle that danced nimbly along painted walls. He eyed her skeptically. "I'm gonna check it out then, see if someone else's here." Nevertheless, collecting blade in hand, her companion proceeded in getting up. …Hopefully a sword would prove substantial enough in killing whatever_ it_ was. He headed out leaving Fuu completely solo.

"Hey, what about me?! I'm not going out there!"

He wasn't listening. So typical. She was_ not_ staying in that room to fend for herself either.

"Mouuuu…Wait for me!"

Finding they listened to the anomalous sounds the estate's desolation preferred to echo, the pair bordered along the hallway following any noise they heard down the lengthy passage. With every step, the longstanding wood furbishing made exhausted creaks, begging them not to step on their weathered surfaces. It was engulfing, _the darkness_. The single candle threatened to perish. There was a scratching coming from the end of the elongated corridor; one that Fuu alone was familiar with.

A firm grip was kept on the weapon's handgrip just in case. Throughout the entire dawdling gait, Fuu clung to his arm providing that sense of security the woman desired… Mugen gave up on nudging away after the_ thirtieth_ failed attempt!

Without fear, Mugen boldly released the final door.

Noted; there was nothing inside besides furnishings eaten away by moth larvae and more built up grime.

Curiosity betrayed feelings of fear. Small embers of the candle scarcely lit the way as Fuu ventured closer to the spacious chamber's center. "What's that?" he questioned, pointing.

The object Fuu picked up from the end table next to the bed was fairly light. Much like everything else, it was covered by a significant layer of dust and…an undetermined red stain. What they'd distinguished it as was a notebook rather worn. "It's a…it's a diary I think." Her fingers smoothed the edges of the crumbling binding in advance to opening a random page. She began to read aloud.

_April 3,_

_Sunny. In the next week, I plan on visiting some old friends in the capital. Surely it won't be a long journey; I've only packed a few things… Haku and Setsuna didn't want to accompany me since they barely get to see their busy father. I'm sure they're enjoying themselves, Haku looks up to him dearly. I just wish he wasn't always dealing with money and politics. Shiro needs a rest from it all. Next time we'll all go on vacation as a family. The…_

"Hey!" Fuu's reading was cut off when Mugen loomed right over her shoulder and swiftly turned the yellowing pages to continue on some other random scribbles, "This is boring, get to a good part."

_April 12,_

_Partly cloudy. This place truly is beautiful, and I'm already in love with the city, even though I've only been here for a few weeks. Still, I long for my home and family much more. I'm very glad Haku has such a responsible older sister; she always watches out for him but scolds as well, when needed. One day, Setsuna will make a fine mother herself. I wonder what they're up to… Out here, it is constantly bustling and lively. One can lose track of time quite fast unlike back at home. The countryside is my favorite though and I think I prefer a more peaceful lifestyle…_

Mugen flipped another crumbling leaf of the weathered notebook, trying to find something, anything that interested him—knowing how to read and not needing her stupid narration. Fuu slapped his hand away. But the page already turned. "Could you _stop_ doing that?!" she snapped. However, he ignored her and focused instead on the almost_ rushed_ kanji marking up the delicate sheet.

_May 25,_

_I don't care about the weather, or the sun! It;s Why did I leave? WHY DID I LEAVE?! Maybe if I would have stayed, things would have ended much differently. This can't be true. There is no possible way. These stupid tears, my aching heart…I wish I were dead as well! I will kill that servant when I find him! I'll kill him! To think, that I trusted him all my life…and he did this. He took away the only thing that ever mattered to me, that bastard! They were my life and just for the money he murdered them?! Why? I'm far too sick to write any further._

_June 1,_

_Cloudy. It's so lonely, so lonely with everyone gone. I've shut myself off from all visitors. This place used to be filled with boundless children's laughter. Now, it is empty and desolate just like the single occupant inside. Every day in the city, I thought of my wonderful family. Now they're gone, just like that. All that is left is this huge mansion with no one but myself to live inside. The memories are there but memories aren't enough. I'm boiling with all this hatred and sadness that perhaps I shall end my own life as well._

_June 15,_

_I don't know the weather since I locked myself in my bedchambers till nightfall. The servant came back. He snuck in actually. When I caught him, he attempted to create an alibi for himself. The gods are not very forgiving. And so, I passed judgment in their place. As soon as I started stabbing him, I just couldn't control myself. The feeling; the rush whenever the blade made contact with his skin, it was amazing. I hid the body and this little notebook is the sole surviving evidence. My dearest friend, the one I trusted, how could he ruin my life like this? For some reason I felt so satisfied when his red blood ran down the sharpened edge of the knife. Am I going insane? But truly, I find this sickening crime quite hysterical._

_June 29,_

_Windy. The police were wrong. It wasn't our family servant. He had ran away to find the killer and was accused falsely. Whoever killed my husband and children was hired, probably another wealthy family. I killed him. My servant and my friend. I killed him for no real reason. And still, I relished the feeling of murder._

_July 24,_

_Rainy. The winds are calling me. I can hear all these voices in my head and they won't stop. It hurts, it hurts! They just spin, and scream and I'm getting lost in it; like they know what I've done, what sin I've commited. I begged on my hands and knees for the wailing to go away. I can't sleep at all and I feel like I'm choking on my own breath. Maybe it's better this way, maybe I'll get the chance to see them again. My family is waiting for me and I don't think I mind that very much. I'm so lonely here. Blood is so fascinating; I crave to see it flow again. I think I'll take pleasure in death._

That was the last entry before the abundant extra pages were left blank. Quite disturbed, the fearful reader shut the book and placed it back where it had rested before. "So the rumor that the ghost killed the servant was false…she killed him when she was alive… And then killed herself afterwards…"

"Sounds like the crazy wench got addicted to killing. Tch. Maybe me and her aren't that different." He got up from where he'd sat cross-legged.

Fuu turned silent as she followed.

* * *

><p>After that, the pair gladly retired to Fuu's bedroom to for a final point…get some rest. She sat on the low set futon, thinking over those jumbled words that were so <em>depressing<em>, and the more they were thought about…the more psychologically it disturbed her.

Mugen's sudden retreat caused an unexpected chill to run all the way down to her toes. "Wait…Mugen…?"

The way she grabbed his arm with so much dependence…astonished him a little. Why did this naïve and altogether innocent person show no fear of him when he'd killed far more a number of humans than _one _woman who'd gone insane?

She should be afraid of _him_.

It raised a feral growl; he'd just been so uneasy about everything lately, everything meaning being around her 24/7 and to a great extent, he wanted her to just, _let go for once_; to leave him be. "What the hell is it now?! Go to sleep!"

"I-I can't. Can you-" He'd tried, believe it he tried. So. Damn. Hard. He'd debated over with himself once or twice, maybe more and consequently to the time before Fuu finished her sentence, Mugen had sauntered over to her and sat himself down beside her futon. "Mugen…" _God_, he wished she wouldn't keep saying his damn name like that. "…you didn't have to."

Clearly through the lamplight, she fidgeted with the blanket and a striking pink warmed her tender, youthful features.

"You were gonna ask me to stay anyway, right? And I don't wanna get woken up again."

Fuu muttered something inaudible back. Something was bothering her about this whole arrangement and Mugen sized her up fully when he noticed. Nope, she wasn't ever scared of Mugen…but seemed…embarrassed? Due to the ongoing rain, Fuu had removed her top kimono so the juban robe beneath is all that covered her…but it was white and the dampness made skin partially show off if enough light showed.

"I…uh…"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna be lookin' at your see-through clothing while you're sleeping. _Calm down_."

"Ah! Y-you perv! I can't believe you!" Though it wouldn't be a use either way, two arms covered her chest from the accused pervert beside her. I mean, he wasn't even attracted to her!

"Just shut your big ass mouth and go to sleep."

Mugen leaned his back against the hard wall beside her futon and closed his drained eyes once more. Hopefully he'd fall into a heavy slumber, but the position planned was downright uncomfortable! "How the heck did that guy sleep while sittin' up? Damn!" referring to their previous silent companion.

Few more tosses and turns and Mugen was altogether frustrated. So, he laid on the floor instead…and this still proved to be an unbearable nuisance. Little slivers and poking out nails dug into his back. Not only that, he was shirtless, still wet and now_ freezing_. He'd left the blankets in the other room when he barged in from her screaming. Plus, if he left to go get them, the girl would most definitely make a huge fuss over the supposed haunting inhabitants that dwelled in the estate. Time to switch to Plan B….which would probably lead to be a terrible idea. This was not what the arrogant ex-criminal had in mind, it was the last. However as the seconds ticked by and the drafts...which they both hoped were only from from faulty insulation progressed, Mugen's body had reached a critical shivering point.

"Mother of shit. Move over."

Fuu whirled around as her eyes enlarged to see Mugen's strapping figure maneuvering himself under the cozy covers—_her cozy covers._Okay, she'd _admit_ (though now was definitely NOT the time to be admitting thing like this) that he had a "decent" masculine figure. Although it appeared quite skinny underneath those excessively baggy clothes, he actually maintained defined muscle in his physique. They may have not have been bulging clear as day and all that, but he was definitely in good shape; scratch that, _r__eally good physical shape… _She was instantly flustered to say the least. Even though Mugen didn't seem to notice and she couldn't see her own face, Fuu was sure she must have been blushing since her cheeks were scorching hot. _'Come on, I shouldn't be this nervous…Mugen's just being stupid Mugen…. UGH, this is freaking me out!'_

He was really close, _too_ close to her imaginary personal bubble that tended to be broken without realizing. "What do you think you're doing?! Get away- ah…" When her supple hands gave an effort to push Mugen's half naked body as far from her as possible, they instead awkwardly brushed against his bare chest and felt the iciness pervading from his bare flesh. "Mugen! Oh my god, you're so cold!"

"No shit! Why else would I bother goin' on the bed?! Fuck!" he snarled angrily while pulling half of the decorative quilt to shield himself from the cold. Obviously, the residence and any visitors were long gone; meaning the homely warmth of a kindled fire was sure to inevitably vanish as well.

"Well how am I supposed to know what your intentions are?! You're a total lecher!" The young girl pulled the thick blanket. He pulled it back from her. She pulled it back again. Likewise…so did he… Yes, Mugen could be an insufferable idiot that she needed to get away from. Eventually frustration and anxiety would be accumulated bricks in her brain.

"Tch, like I'd be attracted to _you_. In your dreams _sweetheart_. I actually like _women_, not whiny brats." How was he always _so good_ at comebacks?

"You-you…." Instead of finishing with an array of heated words, she gave up easily knowing full well that Mugen would enjoy the chance to piss her off. She just let another debunked sigh swirl its way into the air of the chilly, barely lit room. "…This is just really awkward…"

"It's only awkward 'cause you _make it _awkward." remarked Mugen grimly.

He was right though. Fuu was getting all worked up over nothing, _like always_. There were times in the past where they were closer than this…and he was shirtless. Fuu took care of him and removed his clothing many times before to bandage him and such. So here he was a foot away and she couldn't stop freaking out about it.

_'Maybe it's because we're on the same bed…?'_

And that's when it hit. Major teasing time. It _did_ bother her that he'd be sleeping not too far away. Using his idea of a female voice, he did his best impression of a certain person that had a long history of being abducted. "_OOOhhhhh_. Don't try _anything_ on me while I'm sleeping. I'm_ soooo_ weak and defenseless after all."

Mugen's crafty smirk was so tempting…so tempting to smack clean off! "You idiot! I don't sound anything like that."

"Do to."

"Do not!"

"Do to."

"DO NOT!"

"Liar."

"Well if I did, it's because you're a perv!"

"How the hell am _I_ the perv when you're the one who's blushin' all over? I'm the one with no shirt on, so don't think you can seduce me while I'm asleep. I may be good lookin' and all, but don't even think of tryin' nothing." So he _did_ notice. That sure threw Fuu for a loop.

"Ugh, you are soooooo NOT my type, Mugen."

"_Uh huh_. Keep telling yourself that."

"And I'm not blushing!" Fuu added in with an extra effort but nothing she could say would change Mugen's opinion.

"Well, that's not what it looks like from my perspective. You can't really see how _pink_ your face is, now can ya." Easy as slicing through an unskilled swordsman, Mugen beat Fuu in their little bickering contest. He shifted his body lazily so his back faced her, cradling his throbbing cranium against an upper arm.

Enough said. Battle won.

"J-just shut up…" With a final huff, she reversed the position she was laying as well, so both their backs now met each other. _'Such a jerk. Why is he always so rude…We can't even talk normal. Seems like this brute is incapable of that…but still, I shouldn't have snapped at him like that. Ugh, WHATEVER.'_

Right before she closed her eyes, Mugen got the final word in like he always did. May have been for the best that her pride didn't cause her to counter it... It was a simple little phrase, nonetheless being the one she was quite familiar with by now…which shouldn't be mistaken for fondness. Unrelenting, the singular word crawled its ugly self into the tunnels of her ear, agitating the already infuriated woman.

"…Bitch."

* * *

><p>So much time had passed, and the daunting minutes kept going although neither had so much as dozed off yet. Mugen grumbled loudly, having given up sleeping altogether. Hearing his grouse, Fuu rolled over and asked. "Can't sleep either, huh?" The attempt to reconcile their childish bickering from earlier failed, sadly. Nope, Mugen wasn't having any of that.<p>

"Well, whose fault is that?!" he spat out irritably. He had yet to turn and face her.

"I swear I saw the woman looking at me. I'm not joking, really! …You don't believe me, do you."

_No response._

"Soooo, what's up?" He could just imagine the girl laying there, waiting eyes all expectant and shit. Right now his goal was sleep, not listen to the wench _talk_ and _talk_ and _talk_ and _talk_until the sun even got fed up and rose on the horizon. Sometimes he wandered if that was the only thing she was capable of doing right: talking and eating.

"What kinda question is that? Obviously, I'm trying to sleep but an annoying little brat can't shut up!"

"I was only trying to start a conversation. You don't have to be such a jerk about it." They always were like this. Didn't Mugen know how much she wished he'd change and open up to her a little more? They barely talked as it is. _'How did Jin put up with us…'_

Mugen wanted to block out that soft sigh noise, and if he didn't do something, he believed she may cry like an unattended child. Really, it was_ partially _his fault though. _'Dammit.'_

"Hey…what's up with ya, girlie?"

The covers rustled slightly and his face met with Fuu's whose was beginning to brighten up, her features going slack from their uptight image, revealing the tired portrayal of her youthful face. "So…you _want_ to talk with me?"

"Not really…" That big mouth operated all on its own to eternally insult her, the brunette frowning in disappointment, and starting to turn away. Mugen managed to catch himself just in time. "But I will…if ya want."

Something about her, she seemed different. The way she asked…lacked any amount of spite he truly did expect and it made him wonder if she were to be the only individual capable of ever forgiving him throughout his whole…blood-filled life. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate ya. I wouldn't be here if I did, now would I." he replied lazily.

Awkward silence ensuing. Only the rain fell steadily from outside, beat by passing beat. And the wind tortured the centuries old estate by making the thatched tiles of the roof tremble, the wooden structure grimacing under the storm's pressure. Fuu was partially afraid that if she said the wrong thing, a chance to communicate properly with this very person would be thoughtlessly thrown into fire and ruined to end. And it seemed like Mugen was giving an apology...sort of. '_Think dammit! Change the subject.'_

She remembered something he stated whole-heartedly this same day... She just had to bring it up.

"….You're wrong you know…"

"'Bout what?"

"About what you said earlier…you being addicted to killing people like the woman of this house… You're not crazy, _okay _maybe a little, but you're definitely not like her. It's almost like death has always been surrounding you…and it's like you fight to cope with that since it's all you've ever known. isn't that right?"

She knew she'd captured his attention, as his whole body maneuvered to face her. She only turned her head sideways…and he could see…her eyes that matched her hair sparkle when the lightning struck again. All of the candlelight extinguished long ago.

"Maybe someone like me can't understand you completely. Maybe no one can understand that lifestyle you've abided by, but I'm willing to accept you for that…"

Another guttural scoff, coiled and sprung, a voice she so much adapted herself with "Think ya know me so damn well, don't ya."

"Well, I know you well enough to realize you're not all _that_ bad. Because…well…you've never hurt _me _before. And I've met a lot of people when we've traveled that would if they could."

Mugen quieted himself. Fuu beside him, smiled and stared then at the blackened expanse of the ceiling, pretending that it were to be the night sky she was looking at, filled with beautiful stars… But tonight there surely was to be no stars. The plaintive clouds and dreary rain sheltered them from beyond human vision.

This silence made Fuu realize that she successfully proved a point to the man at her side. He was still silently contemplating it.

"You know, that book we found was so weird huh. I used to keep a diary too. Glad I don't anymore."

"I know." Simple little answer like that caught her waaaaaay off guard.

She snuck a sideways glance. "Wait…You read my diary?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Wha-why?!" There was some…personal things in that book. What they were about was confidential. A girl's teenage secrets were the most indispensable ones! And here he was, the inconsiderate ex-pirate reading them like they were… Oh god, _he might have read the part about_-

"'Cause you were always getting your fundoshi in a bundle whenever we'd ask about your sunflower dude back on that journey."

"Women don't wear fundoshi, dummy! Those are for guys!"

"That's…really weird…" He thought, then asked a perverse question that had Fuu's face changing several shades. "Then what the hell do you girls wear under those kimonos?!"

"I-it's none of your business… And of course you wouldn't know men wear fundoshi. I bet you don't even wear anything under those shorts!"

"Are you asking because you want to find out or-"

"N-NO! You're such a pig!" she shrieked. "…Back on the point…why am I not surprised you read it… In fact, I was expecting you to… How far did you read behind my back?"

"Dunno, it was before I learned ta' read so Four Eyes did. It was right after he helped that one prostitute or somethin'." He shrugged it off completely like it was nothing. Does he not realize that sneaking through people's stuff is rude?! Oh yeah, forgot. It's_ Mugen_ we're talking about.

Letting out a small, unnoticeable sigh of relief, she stretched and relaxed a bit more, sinking deeper into the comfy futon as if she were hiding from him, or the ghost…or even herself.

"Yeah, I saw that you love talkin' about food and that you found Jin attractive and I was just some violent idiot to you when we met."

"Well, I didn't _mean_ Jin was attractive. I just put that because I thought you'd read it. I was right…" she giggled about that white lie she put there as a trap for the naïve bodyguard. Back then she expected Mugen to somehow get a hold of it; but the more she thought he didn't, the more personal her book became. Fuu never expected Jin to read it, and now that felt a little embarrassing if he believed her...

"Why'd you put _that_? Tryin' to get me jealous?"

"Hmm…maybe." She tapped her bottom lip, as if she were turning over the thought—right side up, and upside down—until a truth would become clear.

"Didn't work, just sayin'…but he really isn't your type?"

Fuu laughed at him again. "You care?"

"I don't."

"Mhmm…keep telling yourself that." Fuu mimics the words he'd stated earlier.

"Whatever. And if ya wake me again, you might give me a reason to _want _ta' kill ya." False threat.

"Well, I'll keep that _and_ the fact that you don't want to kill me now, both in mind."

"Night bitch." He grinned at her one more time, his teeth shining in the dark before turning away like it was supposed to scare her, and she only warmly smiled at his back.

"Night idiot." She giggled, seeing the playfulness his offensive words displayed so craftily. Finally, her eyelids weighed down for the first time all night. So, Fuu pulled the quilt snuggly up to her chin and found herself falling into a peaceful slumber as well as her protector did beside her.

* * *

><p>The following morning, was not what the girl expected to wake up to. Hell, she was anticipating a ghost in her face more than…than this! Fuu opened her eyes slowly, taking in a deep breath as she awoke from her astonishingly pleasant rest.<p>

Nowhere in her ideal morning did a wild mess of hair, closed lids, and a surprisingly tempting mouth only a few centimeters away appear! One wrong move and her lips would meet his…

'_Oh….my….god….WHAT THE HELL?!'_ Here she was, damp body pressed against Mugen's bare chest…with his strong arms circling her petite frame so protectively. Like an inferno, her body burned at the accidental contact. There was only her white jubon under kimono that separated them from skin to skin contact. What made it worse was that her hands—_her very own hands_—were touching his astonishingly defined pectorals. Did they, did they sleep all night like this? Fuu was frozen in place, pegged to the futon because of what she unintentionally witnessed. If she were self-conscious last night, her face must have been ablaze now.

Yet…she found herself not moving a tiny morsel away from him. Mugen looked so different… Her hands molded this impulse all on their own to touch his face, his hair; things she'd rarely been given the chance to do while he was awake. That would most likely disturb his uninterrupted rest though, something she most definitely didn't want, so she settled with examining every little aspect of him instead.

His breathing was even and leveled, unlike his customary sporadic behavior, neither was the ryukyuan snoring or fidgeting within sleep. No…just calmly slumbering. Even his lips that were faintly ajar looked so much softer up close. The wilderness, or maybe the salty sea…that's what Mugen smelled deeply of when she unintentionally breathed in his memorable scent. Somehow, someway this idiot that she had longed to see for more than a year looked so much gentler in the gleaming morning rays.

Almost…_'Handsome…'_

'_…What am I thinking! No way! Mugen is not handsome at all. I-I shouldn't even be looking at him like this! This is…'_

Unintentionally she had awoken the beast of a man who grumbled when she accidentally nudged him out of disbelief.

Epic staring contest.

_5 seconds went by._

_10 seconds went by._

_20 seconds went by._

"Umm…morning?" the younger squeaked out when she spoke.

Back to square one over the course of less than a minute. Instantly they separated and were on their feet.

"WHAT THE HELL! I knew you were tryin' to seduce me, can't keep your hands off me can ya?!"

"Well _excuuuuuse_ me, but weren't_ YOU_ the one who had you're arms wrapped around_ me_?!"

"'Cause you snuggled up to _my_ chest!" An accusing, tawny finger pointed in Fuu's face which she wanted to swat away.

"Right, blame it on _me_." _'Stupid, stupid, stupid idiot! I knew this would happen. I should have moved before he had the chance to say anything…'_

Only a fool (like Fuu) would believe that for a day they would be successful in avoiding a deadly war of the words. "Forget this ever happened, alright?" her hands were clenched at her sides and her lowered face refused to meet his flabbergasted gawk back.

Exiting the room to retrieve his jacket and shirt he called "Whatever. Get your ass movin'. The storm's over."

"…Yeah…"

_He had no clue her heart was still pounding so hard that it began to thump uncontrollably, an ache wildly banging itself against the walls of her inner chest._

After they had properly dressed in their usual attire, they headed out of the mansion now being two additional people whom survived the night. When they walked outside, the sun shined much more brightly. Puddles of water were everywhere in an unorganized pattern. At least their clothes partially dried overnight and the bright sun would with any luck, remedy the rest. The vagabond yawned, before folding his hands behind his head and walking down the path in his usual mannerism.

"Will you _hurry_ up?" Mugen called to Fuu who still was somewhat engrossed by the building's stature and aura.

"Coming."

She took one last gazing look at the house, taking in all the creepiness seeming to emanate like tendrils of gloom pulling in the light to suffocate beneath the deathly dark, for one last time. Even outside the looming structure gave her the chills and somehow…could withhold its own beauty in the polished beams of the sun.

Mysteries of the house still went unsolved… However, there was something there… Fuu was sure of it. Perhaps the manor was better off left unoccupied by the living in the end. _'Still, why did the specter not return when Mugen had stayed in the room with me?'_

Perhaps, a human's greatest fear is loneliness... She figured it out.

_That's when she saw the window._ Gazing right back at her was a pale woman with black hair flowing down to her waist. A dabble of blood dripped past the corners of her mouth. Her almost transparent hand rested on the foggy glass, beckoning for the young woman in pink to return once more. _So she wouldn't feel so lonely anymore._

Mugen jumped when he heard Fuu scream and was stunned when she sprinted right past him. "O-oi!" he looked back to the house that was notorious for the horrors that took place within. His unbelieving scowl wandered to the fog filled glass of the windows, and there he saw…nothing.

Nothing at all.

'_Tch…there ain't no ghosts. Stupid girl.'_

As they say, ignorance is bliss. After all…we know that's not true.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]:

**Zori-** traditional Japanese sandals. Fuu's increase her height, like heels.

**Fundoshi-** A traditional underwear made from strips of cotton worn by adult men. It resembles a thong (Just imagine the things sumo wrestlers wear). Oddly enough, they're for men and not women. Even still, it's kind of unknown what women wore as underwear beneath their kimonos. I tried researching it (which sounds weird) and could find no info. Inform me if you know and no I'm not a weirdo perv lol.

Mugen: I still think you can't keep your hands off me.

Fuu: Oh please! I was…scared…

Mugen: Ghosts aren't real, dummy.

Fuu: They are too!

Mugen: I think you've been smokin' that good shit without me. You feeling okay, girlie? How many fingers am I holding up?

Ghost: Three.

Fuu: W-where did that voice come from?

Mugen: …uh…

Mouuuu…Sorry guys, I wish there was more storyline with the ghost. But I wanted the scariness to lead into fluffiness if that makes any sense. So yeah, review what you think. Thanks for reading!

_**End of Chapter 9**_


	12. Chapter 10 Hippy Hooligans

_**Chapter 10 Hippy Hooligans**_

{Original Title: MoThEr FuCkIn' MiRaClEs}

[A/N]: _Mata aete yokatta neeeeee. Umm, this one's a little different, crackish(?)_

**NOTICE PLEASE READ**: _This chapter's a gift for two of my friends FinalHeartsofAssassinZelda and ImparedImpala and makes references to the web comic called "Homestuck". Although Samurai Champloo has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Homestuck, they requested me to include references. If you are a fan, you'll get the references. If not and you have no idea what the hell it is, it will not affect your reading much…(?)_

**NOTICE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT:** _This chapter's plot has been vastly rewritten for the sake of fitting it into the story. More character development with OCs and ties a lot into Tokugawa culture. After reading, go to the bottom to see this historical figure's TRUE story._

_I'm honestly not even a big fan of Homestuck, so this chapter really irked me before. It was hard to rewrite…because I had no idea what the hell it's doing here in the story BUT I managed to fix the plot to fit Samurai Champloo. _

_I've never gotten high before so this is all based on things I've studied. It's really awkward when you're on your friend's computer researching the feeling drugs give you O.o Don't try this at home kiddies. Drugs are baaad… M'kay. So don't do drugs, 'cause drugs are baaad. M'kaaay. (unless you want to heheheh) _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Nor do I own Homestuck or any of the characters associated with it. Homestuck belongs to that demon, Andrew Hussie….I-I'm just kidding, please don't take my soul! I honestly don't own anything I make references to lol.

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 10 Hippy Hooligans<strong>_

"Give me all your money. NOW." That was the last sentence Mugen uttered to some dumbass thug before the man took off running, imaginary tail shied between his sprinting legs.

'_Heh...Idiot. You don't mess with people that can easily make you cry like a lil' bitch.' _

They'd arrived at a town further west. This one turned out comparatively more sizable than others they'd visited in the past, though Mugen failed to recall the given name already: halfway between Edo and the Shinano River. According to Fuu, she informed the uninterested vagrant—quite repeatedly—that they needed money to cross the famously long body of water in order to get to Kanazawa. And that was to be their next big destination…at least how Fuu perceived.

* * *

><p>"<em>We need money to cross the Shinano River, okay? Being prepared is better. If we save up now, by the time we get to the next town we'll have enough to board the boat. Make sense?" she shoves the man in the back who isn't at all listening. When there's a significant amount of space between them, she cups her hands around her mouth and calls to him for a last time as an echoing reminder. "You better make us some money today! I'm not joking either! Don't forget!"<em>

"_Yeah, yeah. I got it, don't worry." His laidback arm waves farewell without giving an effort to turn around to acknowledge that he is in fact paying attention. What a pity because he didn't, really…_

* * *

><p>That's about what their conversation included this morning; Mugen refreshed his memory to the nagging girl's demands.<p>

She had _said_ to make money, not specifying how or where. Well…her companion knew she meant get a part-time job at least. Alas, there were loopholes in Fuu's would-be command, so he naturally did what he wanted and proved suited best for. Today's way to bring in the cash included: beating up local badass. In doing so, he'd hauled in a wad of money—cleaning the asshole out of every last brass mon—and now he just needed to find a suitable place to spend it.

What? You thought Mugen would actually _give it to Fuu_ for the ferry? Hell no!

From his own stomach came a baying grumble gurgling for all sited close enough to hear; hunger pains were _always_ the worst. An overly bubbly cook greeted him at some ramshackle stand he made his way to, where the awning created a cool shade overhead, as the coal heated grill simmered in the summer's dying days. "Hello, would you like to try our new spicy wasabi coated fis-"

"Shut up and give me all the spicy shit this can buy then. Hurry it up, I'm starving."

The cook frowned at the uncouth man he served, even holding back an urge to spit in the customer'd food. Which he didn't, because that's just unprofessional. Seriously, Mugen needed to work on courtesy otherwise one of these days he'd get poisoned…again and the count of which that happened was entirely lost on him. Maybe by accident (or on purpose which is a lot more likely), the cook added a vast amount of spices (because the customer was a total dick). Should've listened the first time…

"Enjoy…_sir_."

Every ounce of sustenance vanished in just short of a few moments following the transaction. With that, Mugen trotted along with a newly satisfied full stomach.

It wasn't until several more minutes passed by…did his tongue start to burn…really bad. Most of the time Mugen could handle eating anything, likely half raw cuisine too, or maybe entirely raw; since there _was_ that one time he'd eaten a live frog out of pure starvation… However, he'd devoured it all so fast and hadn't realized how zesty the flavoring was until afterwards. To add, he saved no money over for a beverage to cure the fire building within his mouth. Every step he took the strong seasoning only worsened. Thousands of tiny needles jabbed into his tongue and cheeks. _'Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!'_

To Mugen's favor…an odd looking man sat nearby on the curb in front of a curio chop—a glass in his hand! Without hesitation, the drifter scooped the cup from the unaware victim and chugged all the contents away, much to the other's dismay.

The spices and ache began to wear off exceptionally quick as Mugen panted out of breath before handing the empty goblet back to the owner he'd basically stolen it from. "Thanks. But what the hell, that drink tasted weird…and good at the same time." It seemed to be some type of herbal tea… Even more strange, the burning in his tongue got replaced _by a really warm feeling spreading all the way down to the ends of his toes_. Odd as it was, Mugen waved off the sensation to examine the person whose drink he'd taken.

All of his attire consisted of baggy traditional clothes, something like a stage performer perhaps, and although he was sitting outside a shop, Mugen could tell his height must have been taller than himself. The stranger's hair was long and matted, his skin a pale, ghostly gray. But the strangest thing turned out to be the detailed kabuki theatre makeup, red and white in color on the man's entire not-so-attractive mug. The way the man who normally was indifferent about popular entertainment recognized the design solely because of those bizarre performances he was_ forced_ to watch with Jin and Fuu back when they visited Edo as a trio. This guy was eccentric in more ways than one. The ex-pirate also realized he must be middle aged. Didn't really bother Mugen though, since he wasn't one to judge on one's looks, age or whatever else.

"Was really thirsty. What was _in_ that anyway?"

Much to his surprise, the man didn't get bothered or angry, but he looked almost…concerned. "It's tea with _mother fuckin' miracles_ in it. I drink it _all _the time man. So, what's your name _bro_?" he probed to question the vagrant with nothing short of friendliness.

"Mugen. I don't really care about your name...But since you gave me free tea, I guess I'll hear you out."

"The names _Yagiza_, but you can call me _whateva' _ya like." Yagiza's form of Japanese sounded kind of…awkward and as if he was speaking to a close friend he'd known for years. At the same time, it sounded slow paced and improper, even more so than Mugen's who's yanki dialect came out as just_ rude _half of the time. Sometimes his voice would drift off quietly. Or, a slur could be apparent when one cared to notice..

He answered to this impudently. "Sounds like a made up name ta' me…"

"So does Mugen. But duuuude, if you want, I got more tea inside. I sell it." the befuddling man proclaimed.

"Sell it? I'm broke."

"Oh well, I'm bored and my friend won't drink none with me. I'll share with you." It wasn't venomous, that's for sure; since the guy already sat there drinking it while enjoying the clear weather the village allowed. It tasted better and better the more thought about…and the feeling of warmth progressed, making Mugen a little giddy. Plus, unlike the gullible and _completely_ helpless Fuu, he could fight; defend himself in nearly any predicament. What could there possibly be to worry about?

Yagiza led him into the curio shop, where he procured a stone mortar with a matching pestle, crushing up what appeared to be flowers and seeds of some unfamiliar plant. When they were fully minced, Yagiza poured the poppy-like contents into the cup of tea boiling in a kettle positioned on an old stove.

_Now _he understood; that supposed "tea" contained some type of narcotic plant that was illegally sold, while the shop in front was used as a disguise? _'Pretty clever.' _When stuff is free, take what you can get. _So why the hell not_?

The shop itself contained within an assortment of things from all over the world—foreign furniture imported from mainland Asia and some designs looked European, a vast selection of katana held upon horizontal stands on the walls and tables, along with a collection of books all written by a man with the same name of "Oshio Heihachiro" and that author alone—wares of peculiar variety… Strange. After examining, the taller of the two had finished mixing the plant into the drink, handing Mugen the glass. He offered him a seat on one of the European chairs. A sip he took, and that tingling again followed subsequently. "Why are you trustin' me with all this information I could use against you? This ain't _legal_ stuff. I don't even know you."

"Hmm, don't know why. You seem pretty chill, and those tattoos show you're not exactly an innocent civilian." Cerulean imprinted armbands on the wrists were what the strange man referred to, pointing at the rings; not exhibiting fear or surprise over them.

Mugen ran a hand over one wrist, wrapping his fingers around the loops there. _Even if he scrubbed for hours on end to remove them…they wouldn't vanish, only appearing the same shade after water and soap revealed his tan skin red and raw._

_He still remembered getting them._

"Yeah, more like an illegal immigrant. These are 'fer piracy. I'm from the Ryukyus." he proudly stated. An itch on Mugen's forearms surfaced from nowhere and everywhere. When his nails came into contact with it, scratching somehow felt _pleasing_ to the touch, so he continued delicately raking his skin. Was it from the tea? Hmmm… Mugen took another taste, "So ya mind tellin' me why you're in the drug selling business? Domain rule has gotten pretty tight around this province, I hear."

"I used to live in Osaka, was an advisor there…then retired and became a teacher… Take a good gander at this country bro." The kabuki decorated man began. "We're in a time of peace which the heaven's know Japan needs that. The people too. No wars, no invasion…no foreign problems."

"Whatcha' gettin' at Yagiza?"

"There's no problems, and the leader's are still corrupt bastards, overtaxin' peasants, treating their retainers like they're dirt and not helping their own people starving in the streets. People need a dang gone way to pass the time and enjoy themselves, to relax. And I need a way to rebel, my man. So, I sell drugs and other things and give back to the people by buying food for the poor and jobless ronin. Samurai mostly come in here...which you'd find surprising. Lately, the shoguns' made 'em into personal lap dogs, a status symbol. The age of the samurai is ending, their skills aren't needed any longer, my friend. Their washed up is what they are. And what they need is guidance, a good leader."

This wasn't the first occasion where Mugen gained knowledge of the age of the samurai diminishing—losing their meaning—something many government officials would say; how things ran on_ politics _nowadays rather than the capabilities of one's swordsmanship. In addition, this was something Jin would seldom mention in disdain. Their ronin companion too lost his purpose in the way of the warrior: bushido. At least, that was _until_ he met Mugen and Fuu…

"Huh. Sounds like a whole buncha' complicated to me."

_Whoa. Was it just him or had time slowed itself down?_ Whatever he currently felt made Mugen want to sink deeper into that arm chair like a pile of goo and never resurface back. He felt like talking more than he usually did, turning to Yagiza and elaborating, sharing stories of his own travels, his reasoning for being a vagrant among other things…even Fuu…whom had been mentioned multiple instances without consciously realizing. In this clouded state of mind, whenever he spoke up, he'd somehow get sidetracked and tried to replay what he was thinking only to get more confused in the process.

After a while, there came a knock on the koshi wood outside.

"Well speak o' the devil! Another samurai customer. 'Scuse me a moment, friend." the kabuki dressed man stood with a unsteady posture, scuttling himself to let the man in. The other continued to sip at the drug-induced liquid.

The new visitor—an ugly samurai whose facial features reminded Mugen of a wild boar—started "Look Oshio…"

"You know I don't go by that name anymore bro…not after what _happened_. I abandoned bushido. The name's Yagiza."

"Yagiza, _whatever,_ I need a discount. Give me one. I need more _opium_." commanded the short, pig-nosed swordsmam reaching out a greedy hand. His eyes were discolored, bloodshot while his breath reeked of the smell of singed shrubbery and smoke.

"You know I can't do that, man. I've given you enough."

"Tight fisted asshole…" Quite unexpectedly, that same samurai gripped his katana strapped on the left side of his waist. All the way across the room, Mugen felt his reflexes slowed… So he barely had the chance to grab at his own weapon. "I'll just take it by force then!"

"You really want to try that? I may have forsaken the way of the sword… But all I'd need ta' do is pick one up again. Catch ma' drift?" All three in the curio shop realized fast...that of the trio there...the chilled out Yagiza's hand lingered just close enough to grasp a katana laid upon one of the abundant racks, the price tag hanging off the knob.

In reply, he could only wearily re-sheathe it completely. Yagiza's hand drifted away from the blade as well. "…Watch yourself, ya hear?! I've got dirt on you! Plenty! I could rat you out!" As the infuriated addict fled the store, Yagiza calmly returned to his seat, scooping the drink back from its place on the tea table that Mugen had recently propped his dirty feet onto.

"Trouble?" he asked.

"Nah maaan. An old friend. We were stationed as low-ranking inspectors under the same bogyu back in Osaka _years_ ago."

"Sounds like ya think everyone's a friend. And under a_ bogyu_? You a samurai too? Ronin now?"

"…After seeing the corruption, I quit… I wanted to…help the poor."

* * *

><p>Time felt like it was going so sluggishly by, like they'd been sitting there for days on end when it was only about sunset. Both felt like they were floating on thin air. Even the heat outside didn't seem bothersome, instead replaced with more comfortable, heartening warmth. Their cups clanked each other "Kampai. Cheers." before downing yet another round of the exhilarating drink.<p>

God, he was too drained, his words slurring in comatose or drunk(…or both) garbles of sounds. "Back on that samurai topic, me and my girl are lookin' ferrr….one of 'em."

"The same _girlie _you keep mentioning?"

"My girl…friend…No no, my friend girl…eeer. The one I keep mentionin'. Man, I feel sooo tired..." He rubbed at his eyes while yawning with his gaping mouth open; and if a fly were to buzz his way in…he'd probably be too lazy to care at this point. _That's how tired he was._

"Samurai huh? Plenty 'a samurai round here. You kinda remind me of this one dude I chilled with _back in the day_. That guy was _maaaaaad _cool." Yagiza laughed, remembering another he'd introduced to the soothing drug he used almost on a daily basis.

"Hehhhh? What'd he look like?"

"Had a fish face, glasses, real chill. Barely talked, he did…" Contrary to the vagrant swordsman's brain feeling _reeeally_ fuzzy at this point, that bizarre description seemed kind of familiar...very important too… All the wanderer's thoughts were compacted into one muddled mess though. He was going to ask the name of the man Yagiza knew but was interrupted by another male's voice _again_ at the front of the curio shop.

How many people stopped in...one? Or...one hundred?

"Yagiza-sensei! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING SELLING STILL?!" The elevated tone came from across the room where an infuriated boy whose arms were crossed stood. He dressed much more like a normal Japanese person—no weird makeup or unkempt hair since his complexion was clear and his black hair was tidy and short—wearing a black long sleeved style similar to Jin's… It looked similar to a dojo uniform... Must have been about the same height or maybe shorter than Fuu.

"Yooooo, _best friend_. I made a new friend today. Karu-kun meet uh…what was your name again?"

Mugen pondered the question, losing train of thought in strings of words and _more trains of thoughts_ and…Huh? And his _name_ even muddled into a blur. "Ya know…I don't even know my name man...I'm just...guy..." Both of the two, who were _clearly_ spaced out by this point didn't notice the young man scolding them anymore. They just disregarded the pissed off Karu… Back to flying in high up clouds where none could feel pain or…anything besides numbness and further warmth.

"Ya-gi-za-….I TOLD YOU TO STOP GETTING HIGH OFF OF OPIUM ALL THE TIME!" There's another similarity to Fuu besides his height and flat chest, his yelling sounded somewhat familiar to the girl Mugen traveled with. _Oh wow, _her image was getting a little cluttered as well.

Mugen imagined the girl sporadically dancing around…and really fat for some reason, making sumo wrestler noises as she ate several plates of rice in one gulp that could swallow the universe…

"Calm down Karu bro, it's all good." Now…Karu's short-fuse temper most definitely contrasted against his laid back friend.

"C'mon. GET OUT. I'm sorry I have to do this but we REALLY need to get things in order." The shortest of the three hoisted Mugen to his feet. Usually, he'd punch a guy in the teeth for touching or commanding him. Somehow the ex-criminal felt like there was no need to fight strangely…everything passed by in peace and he was content...and there was lots of purple everywhere…like he could _see_ a purple fog enveloping them…

There was no purple fog of any kind; Mugen was just…really frickin' doped out.

The ex-criminal flailed, clearly out of it and believed Karu was making a pass at him after realizing the young boy pulled him to the exit "Nooo, I'm not homosexual. Don't touch me, ya dickwad..."

"What the hell?! HOW MUCH OF THAT STUFF DID YOU GIVE HIM?!"

Much to Mugen's disappointment, he soon found himself (actually didn't find himself since he began to forget where he was) booted out. So instead, he made his way down the road into the star lacking night imagining the violet haze still enfold his stumbling movements. Surely it would carry him across the town. Somehow he'd find his way back to the inn where Fuu had gotten a room.

"It's fuuuun and you're always so stingy. You should totally have some and chill out, _friend_." Back in the shop still, Yagiza sat dissatisfied that his new drinking (…ahem getting high with) buddy departed now.

"Look Yagiza-sensei, I don't mind if you smoke it, drink it, _WHATEVER_. But you need to stop sharing THIS! It's suspicious!"

"People need this! It gives them joy, bro, a pastime and a way to jus' kick back. And I get to go against the shogun without violence. It's saving the lives of the depressed, the repressed and the poor and hungry I give the money to."

"And it may ruin your life."

Karu noticed easily, how the older, insufferable man…as inebriated has he outwardly showed…had slinked into the European armchair while revealing these words. Guilt, not shame; _pure guilt_.

"My life was ruined the day I was forced to kill my pupil."

"Just because of what the magistrate made you do…that doesn't mean you have to give up the sword! There are your students who are looking up to you, like ME! And, and the government will never stop being corrupt unless we lead a revolt; NOT SELLING DRUGS!"

"Do you believe that the people who are starving and the people I've killed will benefit from more bloodshed?"

Karu walked over to the ex-samurai—once his and many other's teacher of the dojo Senshido and a well respected one at that, an author, writing glimpses into philosophy, and a man who wanted nothing but for the end of corruption—placing a calming hand on the older man's shoulder before turning away from the sorry sight slumped in his seat. "Sacrifices need to be made…Oshio Heihachiro-sama. Change _can _happen but only if we allow it to."

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><p>'<em>Finally done!' Working two jobs kills.'<em> Of course _the jackass_ wouldn't get a job; which Fuu knew all too well from a long history of personal experience around the same person. Work and responsibility…these were assets she needed to get back into the groove of doing again so might as well get a job. Hours ticking, night returning, this was her natural timer to pass out.

She fixed up her pillow and dove into the welcoming mattress satisfied to sleep undisturbed.

…Right before she dozed off, her doe eyes jolted open from the racket of the door sliding open. It was obviously Mugen who seemed to be stumbling about for some reason, so she pretended she was asleep so he wouldn't bother her. Much too tired… The footsteps were exceptionally loud, spaced out which began to drive her to the point of insanity. For the contrasting individual, also exhausted, everything spun round and round; he was lightheaded and a little drowsy to mention. That was all forgotten when he spotted a female figure sleeping.

_Poke._

She ignored it the first time.

_Poke. Poke._

But he kept doing it…over and over.

_Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke._

"What is it?!" Fuu finally snapped.

"Yooooooooo." On his face, showed the biggest, happiest, not to mention _stupidest _looking grin Fuu ever seen him make. Mugen wasn't exactly an unhappy person. Actually, he smiled fairly often; but those smiles were usually directed at food, an awaiting battle, challenge, a threat, or a woman that he was sexually attracted to. _Ne__ver her._ And this single smile wasn't full of malice or arrogance. _He looked like a big kid that just ate fifty pieces of candy._

"What do you want…I just worked all day since you probably got us _no money_ and I didn't sleep yet. Leave me alone please."

"But I wanna talk to ya." That declaration caused her to look at him dead in the eyes.

_'Did I just hear him right?' _For the first time, she glanced into two stormy pools and noticed how they seemed sort of glazed and far off. "Wha…are you drunk?" Fuu grabbed him abruptly and pulled Mugen closer, surprised he didn't recoil back when she breathed in his ocean-like scent. "You don't smell like sake… You smell like…a plant… What's wrong with you?"

"I met this dope geezer, had this tea with like, _mother fuckin' miracles_ in it. And the guy that gave it to me met the guy we're lookin' for."

"Mother fu-…WHAT?! More importantly, you're saying he met Jin?!"

He didn't answer her, just kept smiling goofily. She waved her hands back forth, snapped her fingers vigorously and even clapped a few times to regain a fraction of forever-fading attention. However, his attention instead directed to something below her brown eyes where he ogled and grinned. "Mugen, _hellooooo_? Focus!"

Never in a million years did she expect him to lift an index finger and point directly at her chest. "Is it just me…or did your boobs get a little bigger?"

…_Silence_…

"WHAT THE HELL! Mugen seriously, what is wrong with you?!" That grin never left his face.

Awfully familiar how he was acting; Fuu remembered a time when the three were caught at a gate for using a fake passport without their slightest knowledge and the tannest of the three didn't return that day. Luckily her and Jin were saved when strange plants were set on fire… Everyone became nonaggressive and cheerful mutually in a purple haze caused by the odd crops burning... Especially Mugen… when they found him the following morning… Fuu and Jin had both delivered their own divine punishment that day: in the form of a sandal and blunt side of a katana.

All of a sudden his eyelids weighed heavy, drooping shut by the soothing sound of Fuu yelling at him. Yes…it seemed relaxing only at this moment. The voice echoed in the background of the tunnels of his mind… how weird. By now, Mugen fully zoned out from everything. He was slightly swaying back and forth.

"…Don't tell me you're high..." she grabbed his shoulders, brutally shaking the intoxicated man hoping he'd snap out of it. No use, the grin stayed permanently plastered and his body moved like a rag doll. Man, she was correct. _Mugen was officially higher than a kite!_ The body being shaken felt incredibly tired until it gave way and collapsed right on top of her…

His face said hello to her chest.

"Mugen, WAKE UP!" she screamed, a pink tinge taking over. Yelling upped to a more high and squeaky volume. Every nudge and push had no affect on the heavy lug that wouldn't budge an inch. "GET OFF ME, YOU PERVERTED IDIOT!" How the hell did this happen…

* * *

><p>Authorative figures stepped in front of the curio shop, feet clashing with the earth showing their influence meant seriousness alone. "Oshio Heihachiro, retired police investigator samurai beneath the shogun, you have no medical license for selling opium. This is an order by the bogyu of Osaka, I'm afraid we're going to have to arrest you."<p>

Yagiza stared staggered back at the group of law enforcement who'd entered the shop early that morning. He still wasn't halfway down from the euphoria of his sunup "tea". And it appeared that the samurai friend who'd stopped in yesterday for another free dosage of opium_ did_ rat him out after all. Nothing was registering very well in his beyond befuddled mind besides the reasons for which he was to depart. After roughly three years, the government finally caught on to his illegal drug activities. Now it was time to face the consequences…there were no chance to rebel, to take back what the shogunate stole or to aid all of those whose suffering would never cease under the rule of such corrupt political leaders…

"Wait, you can't take him!" a younger male jumped out of somewhere from the store. Karu, his ever loyal follower and student, pulled on his dear friend's captors.

"Ooooh? It seems this one is feisty! An accomplice perhaps? You're coming with us too kid!" Another officer appeared behind him, prying Karu away from their colleague and Yagiza with brute force. "Wait, no I'm not! UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT!" Out of desperation, his flimsy, muscle lacking arms thrashed to find some way out. The only thing he received was a blunted smack to the head from the hilt of a katana by another samurai, laughing.

"I'm his student!"

"For selling drugs, eh? We'll take that as a confession!"

"WHAT?!"

Being chained, Yagiza averted from Karu who watched him from the distance…with disappointment and perhaps anger… knowing that it all was _entirely his fault_ his best friend was being arrested too.

* * *

><p>Everything went gray when Mugen first awoke; he felt this excruciatingly painful migraine…accompanied by a throbbing ache all over. Some peculiar pain shot directly into his stomach from an outside source though…unlike the rest. Each light kick connected perfectly with his abdomen and hurt more than it should have.<p>

"Come _onnnnn_, wake up already…" It was a brunette dressed in pink that was purposely annoying him further.

The vagrant grabbed a few pillows, placing them at his ears to block out the clamor sifting through as a permanent taunt vibrating throughout his wounded skull from her whining. Every sense heightened a hundred times over. He rolled this way and that…with no such comfort. The small amounts of sunlight drifting through the window seemed almost blinding, bearing apathetically on his vaguely open eyes. Throwing up seemed like a possible action at this point. "What the hell, let me sleep…" he mumbled out, half snoozing even with the noise.

'_After you didn't let me sleep….you expect me to let you…' _Her eyes narrowed to dangerous measures, watching Mugen yawn. "You said that some guy knew Jin right? Well, let's go then!" No more resting. Mugen was up and out of bed as soon as Fuu dragged and forced him to lead her to this unknown person.

* * *

><p>For the first time, Mugen walked <em>slower than her<em>, shielding his eyes from the giant nuisance hanging in the sky, stopping every little while to rest and space out. It took Fuu to increase the pulling and whining for the dolt to move faster against his will. When they'd reached the shop…it was already closed earlier than usual… Several people loitered around there. "Huh? Where'd they go?"

A samurai—pig nosed with bloodshot eyes—stood from a distance, laughing in utter amusement with another person while staring down at the shop. "Hahaha…What a fool, not believing me when I said that he'd be arrested…"

Mugen was about to seize the man by the collar or kick him right in the back…until… "Mugen! Stop… Didn't he just say the people that knew Jin got arrested? We don't need to interrogate that guy if we know already. If he _sees_ us, he'll know our faces and report us for letting prisoners escape!"

With a scoff, Mugen instead began running—despite feeling incredibly shitty— to the prison with Fuu attempting to catch up.

* * *

><p>Inside of the jail Yagiza and Karu silently sat in the little barred room—the stonework below unforgiving and cold, a giant spider descending from a string of silver from the ceiling, which they didn't bother to notice—awaiting their fate. More than anything disappointed in his teacher, Karu didn't bother to say a word. No phrases to be said merely made that fact additionally apparent.<p>

"Wipe that stupid makeup off your face. Hey, I'm talking to you!" One of the guards reached an arm into the cage and battered the side of the kabuki theatre "freak's" skull with the end of the katana to taunt the inmate. What do you know…it was the same one whom battered Karu's head earlier.

"Leave him alone!" Karu finally screamed.

"Oh, you wanna say shit, teacher's pet?! Then I oughta-"

Yagiza reached upwards as the spider hanging from the ceiling touched the floor, gripping the man's wrist…and snapping it at an abnormal slant. They had taken the iron restraints off when he was in the chamber, since he seemed so docile…before. "You see, I'm a _lot _nicer when I'm high. And apparently, I'm really sober right now." A smile through the darkness of the unlit cell appeared…almost demonic...so opposite of the calm, haggardly drug dealer…

To that, the injured guard could only pull roughly away, groveling in pain with irrepressible hollers, holding his wrist in disbelief. But he quickly returned to standing and sprinted to tell others of the hostage's actions so the prisoner would be punished; most likely by an extreme number of torture methods. Though, the inhumane guard merely met with the floor ...He'd tripped over something.

That_ thing_ turned out to be a specific man's foot strapped into a geta shoe. He didn't even witness a blade whistling through the air before it made contact with the officer's head.

"Me and the girl came to get you outta' here 'cause we have a few questions. We're not selflessly helpin' if that's what you were expecting." The two in the cage nodded their heads, fair enough; at least they'd be free. Fuu took out a lockpick.

"Hey."

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Try _not_ ta' break the lockpick this time…" her companion smirked…referring to the first day they'd met, back when her experience in jail breaking proved a not so successful venture…

During her careful procedure in clinking through the lock, desperately trying not to snap it in the process, Mugen meanwhile fought off several more of the samurai guards. He removed one of his geta, throwing it directly at the face of a man who collapsed from the impact. He stalked over to him, slashing his chest. Fuu still tried not to focus on the sound of the sword slicing through skin…and instead on the damn lock which was so aggravating and impossible… After the third policeman released a scream, her pick snapped in two. "Ah! Oh no!"

He shouted to her again, as more footsteps and calls of "This way!" echoed through the corridors of the administration jailhouse. "Did ya get it open?!"

"I-it broke!"

"What the fuck!" Mugen knelt beside the several bodies, scavenging swiftly for any key before the security came. And there it was, looped around the guard's cloth belt. He tossed the splinter of metal to Fuu who unlocked the bars, fumbling briefly over the latch while the male prepared for the oncoming footsteps.

"Oh, you must be the one Mugen bro talked so much about when he was high…"

"He…he talks about me?"

The makeup covered man motioned a finger to his lips as a silence. "He probably doesn't even remember."

Door swung wide open and prisoners free, they made their way rapidly to a hidden exit—the liberating crack in the wall was hidden by several crates of wood. And that's when the guards showed up. About only five of them, piece of cake. Mugen tossed one of the victim's swords to Yagiza, seeing how he handled the previous guard's wrist.

The man wrapped his two palms, a hand distance separated from each other across the handle… They began to tremble...

It never faded; the image of his student's corpse bleeding out after they'd swung against each other, his sword cutting horizontally though his abdomen... _All under a damn order…a corrupt command._ Oshio Heihachiro had only been a faithful, blinded dog with no purpose besides fulfilling one's duties.

Violence somehow always had a way of catching up to him..and this time, while gripping the katana tightly…he decided to fight for only his own purpose; to survive, and to aid others_, not_ under the will of the corrupt officials like the past.

Together, they attacked the five trained officers. Each slash cut straight to the bone, body's falling with every swing. Mugen was surprised to witness the other had experience. Didn't even flinch, or hesitate once while combating.

Karu and Fuu attempted to remove the wooden boxes concealing their exit while the other pair fought, waiting for the brief skirmish to end so they'd all escape together… "He's actually a really good fighter…scarily good." Karu began, Fuu turning with a widening gaze as she heaved another heavy object off the pile. "He was afraid of fighting…after he was forced to kill his pupil who talked against the government, and showed pure disloyalty to everything besides faithfulness to his own sword. After killing him under his magistrate's orders…that's why, I think…he always uses opium to calm himself down. He wants to drown away those memories…and he quit his career under the bogyu. Now, he just sells things to help the poor…and gets high for release… Otherwise, Yagiza-sensei will lose it, keep blaming himself…" He had begged his teacher to quit the addiction and at the same time…it helped him escape the bloodshed he'd always be surrounded by.

The ex-samurai's fluid movement of the blade grazed into the final member of the group of guards.

Mugen kicked the rest of the boxes impeding their path, rushing the four of them out as more were attempting to halt them.

* * *

><p>Fertile woodlands surrounded the borders of the village, where they found safety in the underbrush of craggily bushes. None of the samurai bothered to head this way…a blessing. Crickets alone kept their escape a confidential secret as they continued to play their nightly instruments.<p>

Catching the runaways would prove difficult; none seemed to catch a glimpse of Mugen or Fuu's faces…at least no one alive, so they would surely be fine for the time being… When the coast fully cleared with reassurance and they'd reached a point where the party of four could divide, Fuu exclaimed of their journey to find their lost friend.

"Glasses are a fairly rare accessory around here. I think it's a European thing…so we were wondering what the name of the man you knew was." Hope clenching her heart, she awaited to hear news of the elusive ronin.

Karu answered. "He was a samurai," Fuu held in a breath "by the name of Gameza. Gameza Mizu. He wore glasses due to his terrible vision…"

...and that inhale of oxygen soon went to great waste…

"Not…Jin?" she asked slowly, disbelieving, doubt having wormed its way _again_ into her mind. Mugen casually kicked at the dirt and removed his eyes from the frown she gave.

This whole risky escape act had led to nothing; not even a clue in the end… Figures this would happen once in a while. "Well thank you anyway. It was nice meeting you two." Fuu bowed to them in politeness even while repressing her hidden pessimism while Mugen waved a hand in farewell.

"Yo. Thanks again for helping me out. I'm sorry we couldn't help you with the information you're looking for. Here's a present. It's filled with miracles, I won't be needing it anymore." The unkempt man handed Mugen a small package and winked, which made Mugen beam from ear to ear. Both Karu and Fuu stared at the wrapping; neither understanding what the contents contained within. The unconventional gift was to say...a nice bonus for the ryukyuan. Though Fuu wouldn't ever agree if she knew what lay in the parcel.

"Ya know, you seemed like a good fighter back there. I wanna challenge you someday." Mugen said to Yagiza who could only shake his head to the suggestion of battle.

"My reasons for fighting are long since past. I need a new reason to do so. I have things, plans now and I am intent on making them a reality before I pursue needless spars."

"Do ya _need _a reason to fight?"

"Isn't that why you carry a blade, Mugen? A reason? Someone you fight _for_?" As an answer failed to be given by the only individual of the four covered in prison tattoos, Yagiza continued on with a slight chuckle. "Well, I'm sure the person you _do_ decide to devote the sword to will be a rather sweet individual. But, I'm afraid I cannot take you up on your offer just yet, Mugen. Not until both of us find our reasons and complete our own journeys. Until then, this is farewell."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Be safe out there!" Fuu called afterwards, waving; Karu doing the same for her and Mugen.

At that, they parted ways. Mugen and Fuu headed west and Yagiza and Karu turned to the northeast where maybe they could somehow escape the awaiting law or…plan their own rebellion to stop the corruption of the government who so readily turned a blind eye to the poor, less fortunate.

What strange people they encountered, but they were travelers just like themselves. '_Not really that different after all, huh…'_

As they made a steady canter towards their latest destination, Fuu realized they still didn't have much money on them… "So…you're telling me you wasted the whole week without making a single mon and having no clues on the whereabouts of Jin…"

"Yup." was his simple reply to that.

"YOUUUUUUUUU!"

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _PLEASE READ REFERENCE NAMES!_

**Oshio Heihachiro**- a real historical figure born 1796, died 1837, (could be Samcham timeline since its Tokugawa era and the anime mixes up historical events). Served as a low ranking police inspector samurai or "yoriki" under the Osaka bogyu (sort of like province magistrate), and ran a school called the Senshindo, publishing several books he used in lectures for his pupils. He eventually retired in 1830 from beneath the corrupt magistrate after seeing the flaws with the Tokugawa shogun Ienari and his daimyos. After asking the government to help starving citizens during the Tenpo Famine and was refused, he sold all his books to help pay for their food. He eventually revolted against the government by leading an uprising in Edo made up of the poor peasants, lower class samurai and his followers in 1837 that burned down a fifth of the city. It was put down. Oshio committed suicide several months later after being caught by authorities.

**Yagiza**- my version of Oshio Heihachiro's Samurai Champloo style alter ego. He sells his books, along with foreign trinkets and opium at his store after his retirement from samurai to continue to help the starving poor…while he plans a course of action to rebel against the shogun. While it's not true, (at least I don't think) Oshio quit his position beneath the magistrate after being forced to kill one of his most brilliant pupils who was found committing treason against the shogun. In his student's memory and for all the people who suffered from the famine and corruption of the government, he helps the poor and begins the rebellion shortly after Mugen and Fuu save him and his follower, Karu. Yagiza mean "Goat constellation" or the zodiac symbol "Capricorn". He's also based off of the character Gamzee from Homestuck (courtesy to ImparedImpala and FinalHeartsofAssassinZelda who asked for this) who represents the Capricorn symbol. He's always high and has clown makeup. So I made him have kabuki theatre makeup. He says that Faygo (the sodapop) has mother fuckin' miracles in it. In this case, it's tea and his drug is opium.

This somehow luckily fit with the whole hippy theme against government control and how he doesn't want to fight and believes in peace until he renounces his addiction to opium.

**Karu Neko-** That's his full name. Okay, the character he's based off of is Karkat from Homestuck who's Gamzee's best friend. "Karu" sounds like "Kar" so I figured that worked. "Karu" means "to cut". And "Kat" sounds like "cat" and "neko" means "cat". His name ended up as "Cut cat"….Karkat rages…A LOT!

**Gameza Mizu-** (I realize Gameza sounds more like Gamzee…sorry) If you switch the words around it means "Water Bearer" which represents the zodiac symbol "Aquarius". This is a reference to the character Eridan. He has black hair and glasses just like Jin. Eridan's not exactly…mad cool though.

Mugen: It would have been a lot easier to get them out if you'd have just flashed the guards. Oh yeah forgot, you're flat.

Fuu: Hey, that's not what you said while you were high!

Mugen: Wait, what did I say?!

Fuu: I'm not telling. *sticks tongue out*

Mugen: Little brat…Seems like he gave me something. I hope it's what I think it is... *opens already ripped (?) package and finds…Momo chewing*

Momo: *squeeeeeaaak*

Mugen: ….YOU ATE ALL MY OPIUM?!

*Elsewhere*

Yagiza: Okay, no more opium for me and no more wasting time.

Karu: Where are we going now Yagiza-sama?

Yagiza/Oshio Heihachiro: That's not my true name. I am Oshio Heihachiro and I will never renounce that name again. We're going to find all of my followers and organize a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogun!

Karu: WHAT?! RIGHT NOW?

_I want to give big hugs to FinalHeartsofAssassinZelda and ImparedImpala one more time and I hope you two liked how it turned out!_

_If you're a fan of Homestuck or you just liked it, review please_. _If you have questions, feel free to ask ANYTHING. I know this must have been super confusing for most people. Gomen nasai… _

_**End of Chapter 10**_


	13. Chapter 11 The Fated Faithful

_**Chapter 11 The Fated Faithful**_

{Original Title: Destiny's a Bitch}

[A/N]: _Tsukaretaaaaa…This is something new, the first chapter based all in Mugen's perspective. I didn't want to overdo it with the "in'" Mugen replaces for "ing" he does a lot. So he doesn't talk like that all the time. Experimented with my writing style for these two chapters. Most of his speaking isn't really big detail that I normally use…I apologize if Mugen seems OOC in any way. I had some difficulty being an inexperienced teenage girl and all, and Mugen is supposed to be changing._

_My real name is Destiny (read the original chapter title). Anyway, this WHOLE chapter is a pun on my real name. A while back I'd gotten an anonymous review for Chapter 9 and part of it said "…Mugen always saves Fuu! It's destiny…" That made me rotfl because I'm the one writing this so it really is me and fate that dictate Mugen's actions. Thank you anon person who gave me inspiration without realizing it. XD_

_This may feel anti-religious. I mean no disrespect; I just imagine this is how Mugen would feel._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc.…Mugen must be mad (secretly happy) that I'm writing this Fanfiction. Heheheheh… Yeah, I'm a bitch after all.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 11 The Fated Faithful<strong>_

This may as well be the first time her mouth isn't yappin' a mile a minute while she's still awake. Seems like she's all laced up in this deep concentration. And I can't help but wonder what this girl is thinkin' about for the first time… Funny, when she's talking, I usually could care_ less_ regarding the shit she's spewin' nonstop. But now...the broad seems so…_serious_, the calmness in the air is almost unsettling; even for my tastes. The _only _noise is the wind hittin' the crinkly leaves until they descend to the dirt. Just that…

...

_I can't take it anymore!_ I found myself sighing aloud and repeatedly pattering my feet in a steady beat out of boredom, or maybe just to get her attention so we can get the_ hell_ outta' here and stop pointlessly wasting all the time we got before sundown.

_Or maybe_ I want this stupid girl to turn to me, smile brightly all tenderly like she does and tell me what exactly she's praying for already! Dammit. No use no matter what. She's completely tuned out of all the sound—probably on some other planet by now—and remains fixated on her meditation…

Can't believe it's been a couple a' months since the two of us started this maddening search to find that ol' Fish Face. My mind refuses to process why _I'm_ the one who decided on this in the beginning. Pretty dumb idea coming from me, I gotta admit. I'm perfectly fine on my own, _always have been_; survived that way long enough already… But the wench's company ain't too bad when she ain't annoying me. That's an uncommon thing though. I eat better recently and sometimes have a place to sleep too, that's always cool.

We must have been walking for miles after boarding the ferry to cross the river, been headin' to the next city ever since.

Halfway there, she decided we were stoppin' at some nearby tourist spot hidden somewhere deep in the mountain's forest. Throughout the cobblestoned pathway were these red gateway thingies that looked somewhat familiar. You have to pass underneath 'em along the path 'till you reach the end of the path. When I (half-heartedly) agreed on following her up the steep hill that was _completely_ _out of the way_, I thought there'd be somethin' interesting to see at the top. Like, an undercover Red Light Distirct…heh. Hell, who am I kidding? She'd never condone ta' that. Nope, only an average Shinto shrine hidden by the dense, autumn colored forest—reds, oranges, browns and every other shade of the sunset. It's almost like the sky hit the ground…

There was a young miko dressed in red and white selling an assortment of charms to the right of us, waste a' money all in all. Girlie kept on goin' straight 'till she reached the platform and was lost in the trance of prayer.

At first, I really wanted to keep going so we'd make it to the next town 'fore it got too dark and camp would have to be set up. Can't exactly leave at night when she'd be fallin' down the entire mountain with me runnin' after 'er ass… Well, we could sleep in the temple...but it was so frickin' far from the next city! I needed a break though, even my feet started achin'. Well ever since she kneeled at the altar; she's been quiet, folding her hands neatly together and closin' her eyes real tight.

This leads us to where we are now…

Since her head is somewhat lowered, her brown strands of hair cover her face as if she's hidin' something. I truly can't tell what she's saying to the Gods. Probably payin' respects to her parents, somethin' meaningful or well thought-of like that. I can tell she still thinks about them; her mother and the sunflower dude… Er… her father. Although she never cares to talk about 'em with me.

…Then I notice there's this small almost unnoticeable smile playing on those lips a' hers. Weirdo…They seldom move a teensy bit and her brow scrunches like when she's frustrated at me (which tends to happen a lot). I bet if I poke the broad with a stick or somethin', she'll snap out of it, never shutting her trap again so I refuse the fun urge to be an asshole. I'm far too tired to put up with complaints.

Geez, why do I even bother looking at this girl?! There's nothing worth lookin' _at_! Even that Shinto priestess selling all those trinkets has a better body barely noticeable through that bulky uniform!

Well, the broad's not _that_ unattractive like I'm constantly puttin' her out to be…She ain't pretty either. OKAY, FINE. I'll admit the bitchy brat is sorta pretty…not like I'd say it out loud. If I did that, she wouldn't stop grinning stupidly like when she plays with that dumb rat. That _one_ little statement will prove that she won all our previous arguments and I'll never here the end of it for such an half-assed, mediocre excuse 'fer a compliment.

Still not beautiful or sexy, nothing extraordinary like that. She's pretty…and pretty is nothin' exceptional for the male's roaming eye. Her looks are kinda…cute (I hate that damn word) and innocent, different from all a' them high class desired woman _worth_ some respect. Although her body h_as _improved a little…but that's it! Looks flat as a board from the angle I'm standin' at.

She's not the best or the worst of the bunch, well she's…she's _Fuu._And I don't think I could imagine her lookin' any other way.

Ya know what? I shoudn't even be thinkin' about the broad like that. Makes me wonder if she's thinking about me while she prays. Wondering if I'll ever be saved or absolved of the limitless amounts of sins embedded deep in my soul.

I never understood, _or will bother_ to understand the whole concept or purpose in praying and wishing or _whatever_. They're all the same thing anyway, no need usin' formalities. Stupid people can't seem to admit how fucking needy they are. All ya gotta do is put your hands together and ask selfishly for desires that hafta be fulfilled by some imaginary magical force that will hear you out. _Like God cares._ Bullshit. Sorry but no. There ain't anyone willing to depend on but yourself and I was taught that the hard way. If God exists, I bet he could give a second shit when it concerns our lil' lives on this planet. Life don't just hand ya assists and bonuses out of nowhere. _You do shit yourself_. That's probably why people are in some kinda denial too, some pray for hope or help because they're scared of facing the mistakes they made in their past.. They wanna be pitied. _It's like people want forgiveness. _Your past will never be erased and I've already accepted that.

There ain't no time for regret, that's how I figure it.

But I'll admit, if I do believe in somethin', maybe it's fate. The only thing life really _does_ for a guy is string em' along this unpredictable path_, __especially when it's least expected_.

I ain't the superstitious type that believes in horse piss like luck…but I guess I believe in fate to a certain extent. And man, is destiny one cruel bitch or what? One minute I'm about to get a knife stuck in my throat and the next thing I know, I randomly stumble on gold koban! Totally unpredictable! My path especially with those two has been crossed with theirs so many goddamn times that it's hard to believe in coincidence. Especially with this little bitch, why else would I have stumbled on this woman all over again?! The fates are probably laughin' at me, throwing me back with the girl _over and over_ like it's some kind of sick, divine joke...if you _are _the type to believe in God. It could'a been some busty chick with huge jugs that I'm persistently bumping into all across Japan. Not a chance, it has to _always_ be her. If there is such a thing as luck after all…I must obviously be an unlucky man. A subtle sunflower scent and an even more subtle chest in perpetually thrown into my life no matter where I go or what I do.

Well it's not really worth the energy to complain about. I really don't complain that much unless I'm hungry anyway. (Wait…I get hungry a lot.)

Besides, before I got to Edo I was thinking about what she might be up to. Not like I actually _cared_, had nothin' better to think about at the moment.

_Right, that ain't true._

I was thinking about her 'cause I was kinda sorta curious how she was, if she was safe…or alive I guess. Without me, she used to be in more trouble than a damn (ANNOYING!) fly stuck in a web. 'Cause let's face the facts, Jin never did nothin'…she doesn't realize that. The damn thoughts kept on pissin' me off on the way to Edo, reminding me that she _may be injured,_ _she_ _may even be dead_. The weirdest part was findin' the wench right after thinking that. Any other teahouse or restaurant could've been the one I decided on rambling into. I doubt it was by chance I picked the right one and saved her ass in perfect time. Just makes me wonder…_why her?_ Was my existence made specifically to protect some woman that rubs me the wrong way? (Heh. That statement sounds _so_ wrong.)

Before I met her I was so used to a simple life of eating, sleeping, sex, killing and sex…Did I mention sex? Yeah, well lately I haven't gotten none, _feels like forever_. What. The. Fuck. There's never enough money, and when I sneak off to a brothel, she bitches me out for it. And really…I haven't seen any women I'd bother to pay for. Huh, hope I'm not losin' my libido like ol' Jinny two shoes…

Back then it was the same shit different day. Prior to that encounter, I had no strings attached to anything. Then everything changed two years ago and I actually helped someone without gettin' my reward in the end. I never even expected one, just saved her like I was _supposed _to. What the hell is that crap?!

When we went our three separate ways, my life rotated right back to the start. Though I hate to acknowledge… living has gotten to some extent more exciting with this new journey. I got the chance to go up against some badass mofos worthy of a fight, and we never know what the fuck's gonna happen next… Just now…I gotta re-add being the damn hero to the list of everyday routine. Thought I'd be rid of that shit when we parted ways a year ago.

And I'm far from a fucking hero; I'm an ex-pirate, a ryukyuan; someone nobody with a right mind would associate with by choice. We're the type no one would want to travel with…no one would settle down with. So much blood and death's been permanently stained on my hands that I lost track of the body count long ago—it's like I can still smell the carcasses sometimes—and I still try not to think what some of their screams sounded like… Don't misunderstand; I don't regret what I've done. Remorse ain't my thing. People who get in the way jus' end up getting themselves killed. It's how the world's always worked: survival of the fittest. Though…is it me, or am I right in failing to understand why _she _was never afraid? My only conclusion is _she trusts_ _me._ She's probably the only person that ever will. And she's lucky that I ain't like all those other pillaging pirates out there. Well, that could be a lie too.

As far as I checked, people like me don't save naïve girls with zero sex appeal a bazillion times over or…watch them finish praying so we'll be on our frickin' way by now! Goddamn it, will she HURRY HER ASS UP ALREADY?! We've been here FOREVER!

I'm still tappin' my feet against the marble altar's floor, waiting impatiently and yet…patiently at the same time. I mean, I hadn't left without her right? Just standing next to her while the whole world feels as if it stopped gets me all antsy and annoyed. When I'm out here in the wilderness from the cities, you start to see how real' quiet Japan is. The wind…scurrying, maybe a red fox, crickets, a bird's call. Crows cawing… Crows… I feel like I've see too many of them.

My attention gets caught up in the golden scenery, change of the season. Already it's fall. How long are we gonna be on this search anyway? I don't got a clue and I bet she doesn't either. Except, I got no idea of what I'm going to do after the end. My life will probably go back to the way it was before we met again.

Then…guess I won't have a purpose anymore beside the day to day; the monotony. With this girl, I got someone depending on me…and honestly…I don't know if I'm really fond a' that.

Does someone need a reason to fight? I used to think ya didn't. Now I ain't so sure…

I wonder if I should make a wish a' my own. Maybe that ought to pass the time that ain't on my side. I ain't got nothin' I really _want_ though…What am I supposed to say when I'm not anywhere near religious? If Gods do exist, they'd probably laugh at my attempt.

My arms folded across my chest and I didn't even realize I'd done the action… I closed my eyes…

If that silent pointdexter and this loudmouth can do it, I'll give this futile act a try. So maybe…I guess I wish for Fuu's stupid wish or prayer or _whatever_ to come true, for it to be answered in some way. That way she won't cry all the time like the big baby that she proves to be. Even though I say this, I really want to know what she's wishing for. Who am I kidding; it'll be food, a bath, and a place to sleep. I glanced at her again… That's why she's smiling. Not 'cause of me…I'm the last reason someone should smile. ('less of course, we're talkin' about other women. If ya catch my meaning.)

_Well,__ guys like me shouldn't be protectin' girls like her_. I can't seem to forget that small obvious fact. But I might just continue this chosen job of protecting her, and I think she knows I will too. Tch…like I _had_ any choice in the matter.

Destiny is trying _reeeeeally_ hard to torment me. I'm sure of it.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

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><p><span>Mugen<span>: *tap tap tap*

Fuu: *Ignores*

Mugen: *Sigh*

Fuu: *Ignores*

Mugen: Will ya hurry it up?

Fuu: *Ignores*

Mugen: ...

[A/N]:_ Arigatou for reading people, remember...Review! XD Did his character come out halfway decent, what should I improve and what did I do well on? It kind of seemed like a one-shot to my fic. Until next time, with Fuu's direct inner perspective. _

_**End of Chapter 11**_


	14. Chapter 12 Votive Veracity

_**Chapter 12 Votive Veracity**_

{Original Title: Just a Small Little Wish}

[A/N]: _Nyaaaaaa desuuuuuuu! This is all Fuu's POV for the first time for me. _

_There's references to the ending song animation, when "Shiki no Uta" plays. I imagine the part where Fuu is looking at the ocean to take place after the series close, where she may begin to regret their parting. That's why the sky is…red and blue, and why I believe she turns her head away as if she were crying. _

_I apologize again for any anti-religious stuff in this chapter. Let's get on with it!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. I mean, I wish I did. But that is just a small little wish…and nothing more.

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 12 Votive Veracity<strong>_

I can hear it; the recurring taps of a metal plated geta hitting the stone floor of the outdoor shrine. _Mugen_, I know it's him. Even though it's obvious he's trying his best to _piss me off_ so I'll hurry, he doesn't realize that his drumming is kind of…comforting. Yeah. It's my comfort that Mugen has yet to leave. He's still there, right next to me waiting patiently… Well, patiently for _his _standards anyway.

Today is the start of a new season. It's autumn to be exact. And I don't think either of us can fathom that we've already been roaming around this long. Lately he's been zoning out more than ever, watching as the colored leaves fall when he thinks I don't notice…(NO, I do NOT creepily stare at this guy). You can never really tell what exactly is going on in that egotistical head of his. His way of thinking seems…simple. Then he'll do something that completely catches you off guard. Like today, for example.

When we walked up those steep steps of stone to the Shinto shrine, I didn't expect him to comply and follow me. Every second I was half expecting to fail hearing the clomp of his geta or for the noise to slowly drift farther and farther away. No matter what he followed though, which made me really happy for that. We passed through about a dozen tora gateway on the way there…the same color as Mugen's clothes. Charms were hung from the edges of some of them. Several offerings were placed on small pieces of cloth at a small house-like altar under a tree on the way there… Idiot Mugen actually started eating some of them until I yelled at him about it!

Actually, I have no idea what possessed me to visit the temple to begin with. He isn't at all the religious type…well neither am I.

After my father had left, my mother never bothered to force any religion upon me. Makes you curious if she didn't because she was guilty that I lost my father because of his own beliefs. Or…maybe she gave up her faith. My mother was a more traditional Japanese woman, praying at a holy place exactly like this one while my father had to follow through with his western faith to the end. Disregarding his family—to protect us from his involvement in the Shimabara Rebellion as a cryptic Christian—was his choice. I-I'm not mad at my father anymore. I've forgiven him for all the suffering we were forced to endure, the poverty and when my mother...died. My only regret is that, I never…never really got the chance to know more of the sunflower samurai like I dreamed of doing when I was a little girl. And just when Mugen, Jin and I made it all the way there, he was killed. It just didn't seem _fair_.

Christianity seems to have caused so much pain to others, such a rigid set of rules. I don't think I could ever follow them! Heaven and Hell…the line is much thinner than people think. How would one go about deciding where'd you end up when you died?

Where would Mugen go?

I think anyone with some common sense would automatically declare his destination to be Hell. He's practically a demon himself!

As much as I like to say these nasty things about him…Mugen has more to his character than he bothers to put out; which believe me, he_ never _does. I mean, _he did_ protect me a lot (although he complains about it all the time). Might be likely this is one of the reasons why I'd rather follow the customs of either Shintoism or Buddhism.

But as I stand here with my hands clasped together, I have _no idea_ what I'm doing. I've already paid respects to my deceased parents and now I'm just standing idly doing nothing. Jin would say something like _"You're falling into your own subconscious recollections to further discover yourself and capabilities"_ …blah blah blah. He'd basically say I'm meditating, but use really fancy-shmancy words that he only says when he actually _talks. __Which is like__, never._

Here we are, the jerk having no idea my praying stopped five minutes ago. For some reason, I feel like he's staring at me intensely with those piercing orbs of his—supposed to be intimidating—and I can't prevent the smile my mouth forms…Well then, I'll make him wait a bit longer.

Maybe it's about time I commit things to memory.

I _should_remember even if it _hurts to remember_ that day, how the infamous trio bound by a single, cheap lie was separated. Each step I took from the cross in the road, I'd imagine two pairs of feet sprinting behind, one gruff voice yelling for me to slow down. _They never did..._I was really disappointed in them, that they didn't care enough to keep following… Then I realized again very quickly why _I_ was the one to leave. It _was_ my fault and I _did_ want to let them go…but still.._._

_I needed to know if I could be independent…If they…If __I __could live my life not clinging to something that was so reluctant to have me near. That's why I let them go without a complaint, that along with how it was childish of me to drag them all that way. The end was the end and…nothing more than that. Part of me didn't want to believe this would be goodbye forever, but that time was a great possibility it truly was._

Momo was perched on my shoulder the entire period I walked away from them, telling me in his own way that I'm not alone. Almost like he knew my feelings, my little friend knew of what was buried away. Hopefully, Momo is the only one that does understand. Regret, completely swallowed whole by the feeling. There were so many things I wanted to say and share with those two still. Even through it all…

I _never once _looked back as I walked away.

I _never once _removed my smile as I continued down the road.

I never so much as cried until I'd reached the ocean shoreline, watching the red sun gradually slink away on the blue horizon. The last source of light seemed as if it was leaving me as well, this reminded me of how _they_had left, how I was expecting one of them to return… No, I was hoping for at least one of them to return.

_If anyone did come back, it'd be him because he always did…and he didn't so…where did that leave me?_

I'd do nothing more than…stare. Stare, stare, stare at the consoling tides returning to caress my bare feet…until I recognized being racked with uncontrollable sobs. It felt more like I was choking than crying, as I promised to hold in tears; a promise to myself that I soon broke… I had to watch the water recede again as if we'd never been connected. And that reminded me of _them _too.

Because it was my fault…I was so selfish and now and before… I needed them. They never needed me.

Over and over the cycle of the waves would continue. Just like the three of us. Yet again… that was just a false hope and this time, they weren't coming back.

The two bodyguards were gone. The damsel and distress would have to fend for herself from here on out.

_That's the time when I discovered sentimentality was my biggest weakness._

I can still hear the beat of the wooden clog, a clink dragging on the stone. No. I'm not really praying, just bringing back to mind all the things that happened after we split up. He'll just have to be patient, sometimes people need a moment to think. That idiot, no consideration whatsoever!

Some of it hurts so much; don't know why I even bother remembering how distraught I was back then. When I thought I may never see them again.

_Oh,_ I know why I choose to remember. It's to make sure that he's actually standing next to me now. Mugen is back, and I should be appreciating every sparing moment of it. And I do. _I do! __And there's a chance, a great chance we'll find Jin._

However, I'm also reminding myself of how upset I was the last time he left because it's preparation. When the two of us find Jin, what then? He'll leave, and then I'll… I am scared of so many things even if they'll end up being inevitable. Which matters more, the journey or the final outcome?

Did he ever…come back after our silhouettes disappeared from past that fork in the road? Did he ever wonder where I'd gone? Did he even _once _think of me in that whole year separated like all the times he'd invade my mind—like when I saw red, or heard familiar footsteps and a familiar yanki accent? I can't ask. Never.

"_Be careful what you wish for"_ People always say that. My mother told me that too. Some people only learn the hard way. If I wished that our journey would never end, then maybe we'd never find Jin. Of course I want to see Jin again, which also means that Mugen will be gone. Besides, that's completely unrealistic. And I can't wish that Mugen won't leave me, that's unrealistic too and stupid and naïve and…_only_wishful thinking. Am I being selfish again…?

Wishful thinking…

_We're not..._

We are traveling companions and that's all. One day, we will separate. By and by, that day will have to come. So when it does, I hope that this girl—me—can get it together and be ready for it all.

There once was a day, back when I was even more naive and clumsy, back when I was fifteen years old looking for my father, I remember seeing a quick streak in the sky. A single shooting star. Before I knew it, I clamped my hands together and wished for a decent meal, a place to sleep, a nice bath…and that we'd soon find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. Only after what had to be over _was_over, the thing I regretted ever being over, the same thing that I had previously wanted over; did I figure out my drastic mistake. _The journey was done._ Hah, be careful what you wish for. Wishes might not be any good at all.

I wonder…if I saw that same star again, flying past the evening sky, what would I ask for? What would be _worth_ it?

Mugen helped me think of the perfect wish, in spite of that doubt. I want him to know so badly…but what would he think? He'd laugh and say how girly I'm being, how he wouldn't _bother_ risking his life to save me even though _we both know_ he's done it before.

If you can understand what I'm trying to say_ Mugen_, please somehow listen. Well, I forgot. You're not a mind reader…practically insensitive to _anyone else's_ feeling for the record. So, I'm gonna count on this _one_ wish, hoping that it'll possibly come true…even if there's no shooting star. And I'm supposed to be praying, not wishing.

_Mugen, I wish you won't get hurt or be…killed protecting me. And…I want you to live a good life in the future, even if we're far away or still traveling. Because, because that'll hurt more than anything if it was my fault that you were injured again. You've been wounded enough for me. Take care of yourself. For once._

_Please._

That was when I opened my firmly shut eyes and let my hands down at my sides while glancing at him watching with relief that I finished my prayers. I heard his feet tapping that entire time, heard him groaning constantly. None of it bothered me. Maybe it was a test to see if he'll leave me. He always left so many times in the past when he was fed up. Maybe that would've really been for the best.

"Oi, what didja pray for?" Mugen asked picking at his nose (GROSS!) as if he really wasn't_that_ interested. He must have been pretty bored that entire time he waited; I feel a little bad now.

"I made a wish." I said to him.

He eyed me a little curiously. I knew he'd ask. "Yeah? Well what was it? You took so damn long!"

Still, I can't say what I'm thinking at all. So I walked right on past, eyes turning glassy and feeling a tight cord constricting my beating heart. Nevertheless I looked straight at him for an instant and smiled before walking ahead.

"If I told you, it wouldn't ever come true…"

_**~To Be Continued~**_

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><p><span>Mugen<span>: Hey, tell me your wish!

Fuu: I already told you that I can't, baka!

Mugen: I'll tell ya mine if ya tell me yours.

Fuu: Then neither will come true!

Mugen: …Now that I think about it, I don't want my wish to come true 'cause you'll just wish for something stupid… It'll be such a waste…

Fuu: Wait, what?

Mugen: Nothin', never mind.

_Because he wished for her wish to come true in Chapter 13. I find it funny how Fuu wondered if Mugen ever thought of her at least once during their separation… If only she knew the original title of Chapter 1._

_Hint: There are characters from the original series up next…and no it's not Jin. Sorry guys. _

_Please review on what you think of her and Mugen's thoughts ^^_

_**End of Chapter 12**_


	15. Chapter 13 Bygone Briefings

_**Chapter 13 Bygone Briefings**_

{Original Title: Promise Forged In the Night}

[A/N]: _Christmasu omedatou gozaimasu! Ahhhh, I originally wrote this during Christmas and got a laptop of my own (without internet so updating was still a bitch) and a Mugen figure from ImparedImpala that gave me much inspiration to write. So Merry Christmas no matter what time of year it is. ^^ Just think of Fuugen XD_

**NOTICE-**_ There are two characters from the original anime…it's a surprise. If you can't seem to remember who they are, I suggest reading the author's note at the bottom after you're done and rewatch the episode specified._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo or the other two characters etc. If I did, I would make sure there was a lot more merchandise! I wish they didn't cancel that one awesome Fuu figure…sigh. But at least I can still get the one that goes with the Mugen I have. Muhahahah…

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 13 Bygone Briefings<strong>_

"…Are you sure he will be here?" With the utmost skepticism, the male judged the woman beside where he knelt. He itched a red mole like marking across his left cheek, evaluating if this would be worth it by the end…probably not. Their whereabouts were currently on the black shingles of a roof, surveying the area of the once ramshackle village now built into quite a castle town. After some point in time, these two people reached Kanazawa.

"I'm positive! We'll find him here, I can just sense it." she insisted. The woman twiddled her fingers through the strands of her vivacious ponytail repeatedly. Mainly, this habit was done to soothe her boundless excitement that they may find _him_ at this point after all.

Part of this trip to Kanazawa between the couple was all for some guy…that shouldn't matter this much to her. They had a specific job to do and the main reason—not for him, but for the specific female being so set on going—was because of _another_ fellow that she assured would be there. The small statured man was tolerant indeed when dealing with all her impulsive dreams. It was surprising he hadn't done all their espionage assignments completely solo!

Then there was the part where- "We have no leads."

"We do have a lead! I've made an interesting…contact that heard he's been traveling from other cities."

"By contact, you mean this has something to do with the shogunate. Shit… Don't tell me this guy is a criminal!" Unbelievable! Her tastes in men were rather _uncouth_ to put it nicely.

"Well, ahhhh…it's nothing major but I think he was wanted a few years ago. And lately word had been going around when a member of the Tadaaki family was attacked by a strange traveler resembling a ryukyuan male. That was over the summer." She spoke matter of fact-like, making her partner grimace and close his eyes. He realized that if this had something to do with the rich Tadaaki family of Edo, nothing good would come of it. They were strongly tied with government officials, known to hold profits in abundant resources and property back from as early as the Sengoku Period! Messing with them…habitually led to an early death. "Cheer up a little, this is perfect timing anyway. We can finally make some money catching that runaway drug smuggler. He's supposed to be having his next deal nearby." The woman really pressed for her partner to stay positive, which unremittingly led to the young male's mood to worsen progressively.

All he could do was shake his head in the most obvious disapproving manner; well, at least they had something about the whereabouts of the swordsman. Though the young government agent possessed more to complain about…

"Yatsuha…don't you think we look just a_ little_ conspicuous on the top of a building?"

"So you're saying _all_ the other stuff we've done in the past _wasn't_ conspicuous?"

His teeth gritted…"That's not what I'm saying. I don't know. You're stereotyping all us onibawanshu as shinobi that stalk the tops of buildings."

"Secret agents, ninja we're basically the same thing anyway. The only difference is that we're the new generation and hired by the shogunate. You used to say we're_ just like _ninja that work for the government. So what's the problem now?"

They always had random disagreements like this. Their heritage was so mangled after the disappearance of ninja centuries ago…that the true descendants forgot the true reason why they existed in the first place. Onibawanshu and shinobi were commonly affiliated with one other, sometimes technically being the same thing.

Again he tried to explain his point. "…It wasn't that we're called ninja, you're of Iga descent, yourself. It's that all ninja don't stalk on the tops of buildings! And if they did, it'd at least be at night. We look stupid and creepy up here."

"Hankichi, you're being so critical."

"Well you're illogical. You're all over a guy that you barely know _and_ you don't even know his name!" A little kid heard the overly loud shinobi and pointed to them, his mother staring at how mysteriously they were dressed.

"Mommy, look! Gay shinobi!"

…..Hankichi's eyebrow twitched.

"IT'S SHINOBI GEI!" he yelled down to the grammatically incorrect kid from the rooftop, waving around his fists before Yatsuha covered his mouth and pulled him away, while the blunt child quickly was ushered away by his mother.

"Hankichi… Seriously, calm down! _You're_ the one drawing suspicion!" At that order, Hankichi huffed and turned his head away from her beady eyes.

They'd forgotten their regular traveling gear after rushing out of the inn when news of their two targets came up. Yatsuha donned her skin tight, white outfit (having tweaked a few added details to her clothes since she'd been using them for about two years). At the back of her waist, she appropriately secured a small katana too. Hankichi wore all black with a bandana upon his head and a sinuous scarf that partially covered his mouth and neck, wearing tabi on his feet to enable quieter footsteps. To say the least, they stood out in a crowd in such strange garb. People would assume they were ninja cosplayers!

….And Kunoichi _don't_ get attached to men, _especially ones they didn't even know._ Oh, and _normal_ women? They're not supposed to get attached to unlawful brutes! Not only did Hankichi find this whole idea STUPID, it was also a major waste of time!

In sarcastic exasperation, the female huffed as much as she could before answering. "You know, I am _not _being illogical, or immature or whatever!"

"Then remind me once again why we're looking for him."

"For-" she started."

"Oh yeah. For _marriage._ Exactly." Hankichi shook his head in displeasure; he couldn't believe such an intellectual and independent woman like his partner Yatsuha would resort to marrying some random guy. It didn't make any sense and he really believed he'd known her more than anyone in her life. _'Women, so simple minded after all. Love this and love that. Isn't there anything important besides being obsessed with romance and relationships?!'_

"My father, Jinpachi Iga told me specifically to marry someone strong that can protect me. So far, he's the only man I couldn't beat in a fight so he's _obviously_ best fit as my husband!"

As if _that_ was completely normal.

Somehow he needed to set her on the right track again, make her forget that useless guy! "Well, you don't know if he'll protect you...I bet there's another guy out there who cares about you and you never even bothered to notic-"

The sentence cut midway as an excited shout erupted from Yatsuha, herself having already jumped and landed gracefully from the top of the tiled building they used to scout the city.

"Oh! That's him!"

What Hankichi believed she'd yelled about was this "unidentified" male she was hoping to marry. _Instead_, the rumored drug supplier was sprinting full force through the streets accompanied by a few members of the law enforcement on his tail.

_That made him just a little less gloomy._

At least his coworker retained responsibility when it came to her occupation, and not just on pointless crap like "romance". Another figure dropped down to the pavement below, landing clumsily after her where he began pursuing both the felon and Yatsuha ahead of him. Lately, she became faster than Hankichi's superb running skills. While his partner professionally excelled in disguise and manipulation…Hankichi was the sprinter who collected the information, ably delivering it to whichever official would find it beneficial. But day by day, more and more he found his skills…lacking even with extensive practice. Now even this had become far too inferior to his partner no matter how hard he tried.

_'What is…happening to me…'_

* * *

><p>"Soooo hungrrry." If the constant complaining didn't justify near starvation, then the powerful rumble of a malnourished stomach did! They were <em>always, always, always<em> famished! "Oi…How do ya even know that pointdexter's in this city? Any clue?" Our favorite lead male prodded the waitress beside him for a response she was uncertain in giving.

"Hmm…Well, I figured we should stop at some major cities along the way farther west. But that's about it…" Fuu smiled hesitantly, looking around to the people working and shopping. "So far, the only people we met who knew him was Kokoro and Nozomi and _maybe_…that lady at the inn."

"For fuck's sake…" Mugen cracked his aching neck and let a miserable yawn follow in subsequence. "Might as well start askin' around then."

Not too far away, a mass of civilians were dispersing to separate sides of the lane, gasps secreting airborne. While Fuu and Mugen moved unconcernedly towards the general store, an undercover drug fence charged forward being chased down by a brigade of police officers; there was yelling to halt. Such calls went unheard by the wanted man. Fuu managed to jump out of the way as the stampede of feet came closer…her ex-bodyguard not so much.

Of course—it _could _have been an accident. Then again, there was _always_that mischievous side Mugen lived to display on a daily basis. For the man bumped into Mugen who was too slothful to get out of the way, then, proceeded to trip and crash rather laughably to the ground.

Suspiciously, he clutched the parcel (most likely housing drugs of some kind) even tighter and was ready to yell his head off "HEY! Watch where you're goi-_aww crap_." The bloke who had stumbled flashed his discernments in Mugen's direction but was replaced with fear from a different source. Fuu was about to apologize, unaware that Mugen just tripped a much sought after drug dealer.

Though, her apology was interrupted by a very pronounced feminine voice.

Officers of multiple ranks caught up led by a female clothed in white and a huffing man in black close behind.

"Hold it criminal, by order of the shogunate! Surrender without a fuss and there won't be trouble." Yatsuha yelled, flashing the scarlet seal of the shogun which indicated her status of importance. She sprinted towards her target.

Grinning cleverly, the accused fence threw a small shuriken in her direction which Yatsuha managed to dodge. The distraction didn't buy him enough time to escape…he only made it a few feet away when she had caught up and tackled him to the earth. Poor guy; smashed into the ground _again_. "I suggest you come with me, or this'll get bad." The runaway struggled with the woman atop him and in return received a severe knee in the gut. This blow was one powerful enough for a significant amount of blood to surface. "Told you."

He coughed multiple times, holding his stomach from the vicious onslaughts. "C'mon toots, go…easy on me…" the drug dealer who spurted crimson from the mouth, whimpered out as she kicked him for a second time. A spare kunai procured from her upper thigh dragged just under his chin.

For a woman, Yatsuha exemplified strength indeed. From her hip, she pulled out rope binds that would suffice in arrest. With a last solid palm to his unfortunate temple, the unconscious man slumped defeated; his almost lifeless body bound with assured care. She had to be…a little rough to get her point across.

Significant crowds of bewildered onlookers circled the scene of the fight, which was one problem with catching high level fences… Sometimes it was a more to the point chase that gathered unwanted attention. Crowds of people whispered amongst themselves, gossip billowing though the hustle and bustle of midday. Usually the two onibawanshu weren't tasked with menial errands like finding illegal brokers. However, this specific man was leading them to a much bigger operation going down in the city. Interrogation…or torture more likely, would be necessary.

Otowa Hankichi as well as the police force began pushing people back, advising them to return to their various daily activities.

Our familiar characters…were the two dumbfounded people still idly standing by amid the dispersing throngs. At first, it didn't occur to the male government spy who the wild haired vagabond who tripped their target was…didn't seem like it mattered.

…Until he _did _finally take a closer glance—he regretted doing so—placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and pointed reluctantly to the odd swordsman adorned in a dusky red. "Isn't that your guy?" whispered Hankichi. With a shocked but agreeing nod from the other government agent, he knew his observation was correct. Yatsuha didn't notice the shinobi scoff at the finding. "Well if you need me, I'll be around the city."

He doubted she was even listening to him…

As a parting he dragged the drug smuggler away from the street and into a tight passage. Alone now, Hankichi and the shadows became one as the darkness engulfed the bodies of him and the unconscious criminal.

Before vanishing, the disheartened onibawanshu whispered a silent "Good luck."

'_What are the odds! Two prizes in a day!'_she thought to herself. An odd hammering was building the excitement in her chest. Unknown to Mugen or Fuu's knowledge, Yatsuha was admiring her find. That guy…he looked almost exactly the same since the first time they met. Seeing the tanned ryukyuan once more made Yatsuha remember one of the reasons she was so set on marriage. His attractiveness was unique.

Taking up all the courage buried in the delves of her mind, she approached him still holding on to her confident demeanor. "We were searching for that man for a while and you helped in his prosecution. Guess I have an even bigger debt to pay back now. I missed you, you know."

At first Mugen wasn't even paying attention until he realized the striking female was addressing him. "Do I know ya-WHOA!" The woman grinning, ran to the man and proceeded an attempt to punch him in the face…luckily he avoided it.

"The hell?!" Yatsuha then ran to him, kicking in the air like a skillful acrobat. Again she missed. Another punch to the side of her head, he grabbed it within his own, then another flat hand towards his collarbone, which he also caught.

He overwhelmed her, as she expected…and was strangely satisfied with.

"Mugen!" Fuu screamed out, neither her nor Mugen understanding who the person attacking him was!

"Long time no see, traveler." Yatsuha smiled up at him, then sent a glare to the other girl shadowing close behind.

His hands still held her there; caught. "Seriously lady, have we met? I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered a girl with a body like yours…"

"Hey, isn't there a naked lady behind you?!"

"Whe-GAHHHH!"

Managing to surprise him_ again_, Mugen crumpled to the ground after the knee hit its destined mark; his groin. It also gave her a chance to rip away from his grip on her hands.

"Ummm…are you okay?" Fuu whispered then turned to the woman. "And who the hell do you think you are beating up on strangers? What's your problem?!"

"I've been searching for this _'stranger'_ for over a year!" Her palms clenched at her sides, emphasizing these words. He couldn't have…forgotten about her right, after all that hard work she put into finding him again? _'I mean we didn't know each other but…'_

"Dang… That long? I must have a death sentence or somethin'." Mugen barely managed to gasp out…

Jin and Fuu were the only ones he bothered to know for an extended period of time, so this came as quite a shock.

A year? If she was waiting that long to find him, what exactly was she to him? Another pirate character from his remnant past? She didn't seem to fit that description… A friend, acquaintance, girlfriend?! Fuu believed the last thing was a little illogical to believe, since Mugen was more of the one night stand type of guy._'Wait, one night stand?!'_Out of all the numerous possibilities that one seemed to fit the jumbled puzzle most accurately.

"Good grief! It's me, Yatsuha. Iga Yatsuha. Ya-tsu-ha." She sounded out each syllable of her name as if to give emphasis. Mugen scratched his head and eyed her up and down (lingering on certain places). Nothing about this woman was ringing any bells. Usually he forgot people's faces after the first day of meeting them!

Additionally, the girl peered from beyond Mugen's shoulders as he got up, a mix of inquiring and confused. "So, do you know her? What's going on Mugen?" His hand caressed the stubble of his chin in deep thought multiple times, squinting as if it would help in the observation. He turned to Fuu again and shrugged. He really didn't have any frickin' idea either. Some hot chick knew him from somewhere whom he couldn't remember at all. That was his analysis on the situation. This actually occurred quite often…you see, women don't usually forget a good lover err… face. Then again, people sometimes confronted him when he had stolen or caused trouble with people from the past which he also…didn't give a damn about.

"Mugen? That's your name?" the kunoichi smiled. After so long of not knowing, it was a weird form of accomplishment in finding out this basic information. Plus, "_Mugen"_ somehow had a really nice ring to it.

"You don't even know his name and you claim to be looking for him for over a year?! Are you sure you're not confusing him with someone else…" Fuu asked the woman…who seemed to be glaring back at her now.

"Well, I umm…We met at a brothel in Osaka over two years ago. He helped me take down a group of underground counterfeiters; the negoroshu who were using the brothel as a disguise for their operations. You see…I'm an…undercover agent for the shogunate." she whispered behind a hand; information like these past mission were rather…embarrassing.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey, if you take out all these guys for me, I'll do something really AMAZING with you." <em>

_Two years ago. Osaka. Money. Brothel. Women. A bet. Counterfeit coins…A promise…but no sex…?_

* * *

><p>Everything started to piece together.<p>

Her tone was beyond seductive in the late night hours of the Red Light District. Raging libido got the best of him then…so he fell for the offer beyond his better judgment. But when did Mugen _ever_ have better judgment, _anyway_? That whole day, Mugen'd been getting increasingly frustrated by Fuu's company for God knows why. They hadn't even argued, in fact they got along rather well. For example, the two laughed at the discovery of Jin's rather pitiful fishing skills. And yet, he found himself not being able to be around her.

Thus, a brothel was the first logical thing that popped into mind and even Jin got dragged along for the ride! They'd rock-paper-scissor'd over who would get Yatsuha, and Mugen won….

The vagrant remembered her fighting skills they used as teamwork to take down the horde that he didn't quite understand _why _they were fighting, nor had he cared at the time. All the vagabond focused on was the promise of an amazingly good time with a sexy girl. _The rest was just blurs._ Little by little her face became clearer in his memories though, Yatsuha's hair too, which he remembered bouncing around _just like_ Fuu's brunette ponytail. Last thing he could recall that night and into the morning was being knocked out; world going black after the impact of a wooden plank met his cranium.

"I remember now! You're that courtesan that still owes me nookie!"

Fuu almost choked by such a blatant statement.

The kunoichi looked as if she'd turned fifty lurid shades red. Her confidence must have been pretty high though, since she looked directly at him and responded with "If you want to put it that way, yes. That was me. I needed to stay undercover at the brothel in order to expose the counterfeiters….You just happened to get in the way and ended up helping me."

Fuu took a moment to process everything. Two years ago was when they were still searching for the samurai who smells of sunflowers which means they met when they were traveling together. It must have been that day when Mugen and Jin had run off for a whole night… In a matter of seconds, Yatsuha strode to Mugen's side and clasped his arm with an intentional possessiveness. "I never really got to pay you back for helping me." For some reason this statement…seemed more directed to a potential threat.

_The other girl…_

"There are some things I need to discuss with you as well…if you're willing. Could we go somewhere else?" Now Mugen had the most mischievous, perverse grin ever. An arm snaked its way around her waist where he pulled her just a bit closer.

Suddenly, he felt another excruciatingly painful object hit him, his head this time; at first expecting Yatsuha to have done it for his semi-perverted action. To find out it wasnone other than_Fuu_ forward-facing him, arms crossed heatedly and her evil sandal in tow…made him both surprised and peeved. "The hell was that for, you bitch?!" he angrily croaked out.

"We have other things to do! We're still looking for Jin, or have you forgotten that easily because of her?" Two sets of eyes could be felt, burning their stares into skin like a branding…Yatsuha who was patiently waiting and Fuu tapping her foot petulantly. Of course he'd rather hang with the more appealing female and not with that….that whiny brat!

"_Sorry_, but I got more important things on my mind."

How could he…just betray her like that?! '_Why would he need to go off with some other woman when he has me around…Wait… That's not what I meant!…'_

Strangely, the young woman felt incredibly wounded by Mugen's defiance. And this female was practically glaring at her! In a way, she felt like getting away from both of them. Yet at the same time…who knows what Mugen would try or do when she wasn't around. _Even if it was none of her business._

As if to convince him, she stated "We need to find Jin!"

"How about I treat you to something to eat then?" Having segued into their argument, Yatsuha ignored Fuu's request and offered, extending her welcoming hand to Mugen and _only_ to Mugen.

"Food? That'd be awesome! Alright, let's go, Mugen!"

To Yatsuha's horror, Fuu was already marching ahead having taken the offer for both Mugen and herself. Closely behind was her companion who had also seemed content with the offer of a nice meal. The issue was…Fuu wasn't invited whatsoever.

She watched the girl in the pink kimono and the man beside her. They were arguing a little and the girl playfully pushed him, and he pushed her right back with minor added force. The push wasn't enough to knock her off balance; the action seemed good natured. Another warrior alone could see that his hands were neatly folded behind his head for more than a casual act. Yatsuha wondered if he did it consciously or not; his fingers were mere inches from the hilt of his sword. _Protection_. He's protecting the girl in pink. Just for a moment behind them she sees this. And for that moment she knows some of whom or what this girl means to Mugen.

Yatsuha couldn't help the growing fear over the ex-criminal's companion. _'I can't fail this mission. Mugen is mine!'_

* * *

><p>Soon the man and two females took their seats, Fuu half expecting Mugen to take the place beside her. Regardless of what she <em>thought<em>, Mugen sat close to Yatsuha who smiled all sugar and sweet back at him. They shared some small talk before ordering; Mugen trailed his hand along her hip which Fuu by chance noticed. They were really, really smushed against one another in an almost fitting type of way. Whenever she spoke to him, her eyelashes fluttered and she'd flip her hair back. Their height difference wasn't much; the keen beauty matched his gruff look.

All the fair haired brunette could do was eat while they passed avid glances and even more subtly flirtatious words. _'Why don't they just bang each other for everyone to see?! They're practically drooling over each other.'_ For some reason, she gripped the lacquer bowl just a bit tighter and ate faster than usual. The food didn't even taste all that good when it _should have _been just fine.

Real quick, just for a second Mugen looked her way as if he was to say something, resulting in her heart speeding up _way_ more than it should have. _'At least he didn't completely forget about me…'_Fuu hunched over her plate, devouring almost all available food in sight. Contrastingly, Yatsuha delicately lifted her small cup of tea like she was taste testing an exquisite foreign liquor. Her posture and etiquette left an impression for the eyes; she was graceful in all aspects. Despite this fact, not much the same could be said for the childish girl sitting across from her.

"You must have quite the appetite." The way the kunoichi said the words made it seem gentle but there was a tiny hint of malice that only Fuu caught on to. A brief glimpse into the code "dolphin language" as Mugen called it, that females use would be translated as "stop eating because you're wasting my money". Nonetheless, Fuu stayed stubborn as ever and continued ordering.

"Yeah, you ever hear of those old folktales of kitsune and tanuki turnin' into people? Well, she's actually a pig miraculously transformed into a girl." Mugen sneered, the ninja girl giggling alongside. She leaned into him and laughed at the joke, her face centimeters from his.

She began to feel rather sick.

"Well, growing girls need to eat. This is completely natural."

"Oh yeah, you're not exactly a mature woman yet. Young girls aren't the same as _real women_ even if they are of courting age." There was a sly grin aimed at her, and the more petite of the women didn't like it. Even as much as she hated to admit, the kunoichi in white really was appealing to the eyes. Her figure must have been completely perfect. Voluptuous in all the right places. Her legs were slender yet fit, hips feminine. When Mugen used to say he liked large breasts…Fuu's imagination of his statement lingered to a woman much like Yatsuha. That was to say, her outfit really _was_ an eyeball magnet.

Whenever a person took an innate distaste for Fuu's presence, she could feel the static vibes; swords cutting through the once calm air. That feeling didn't shake away when Yatsuha examined her, watched her, and not out of curiosity. Yatsuha was a beauty. The best words the waitress could remember a random guy saying about her in the last week…was cute. Beautiful and cute weren't on the same wavelength. Cutes' for puppies and rainbows, beautiful is for gleaming pearls and delicate flowers. Sometimes…_she wishes she could be a flower._

Of course, Fuu wasn't unattractive, not in the slightest, though Mugen just had this obvious way of showing attraction towards _other_ women. Or just called her flat to her face, or said she had no sex appeal etc. The sunflower girl was gradually sinking into her seat…

And she found herself disliking the slightly older woman's company far more than necessary. _'So what if she keeps acting spiteful towards me. So what if she's attractive. Why should I be jealous? So what if Mugen…is drooling like a…dog. It's. None. Of. My. Business…'_ She wanted to reassure herself that she shouldn't be upset. Yatsuha's blatant dislike for her presence was one thing…

A hot flush of red sprung to the seventeen year old woman's pale cheeks.

_Third wheel. Third wheel. Third wheel. Third wheel. Third wheel, that's exactly what Fuu is._

Of course Yatsuha was staring at the ex-pirate all googly eyed, lost without a care in the world. The contrasting female was sure to gag soon enough.

"Why exactly are you _here _anyway, _Yatsuha_… was it?" Fuu really didn't mean to sound bitchy, but the idea that someone can't stand you makes people react consciously or not. For once she set down her chopsticks and plate, staring directly into the government agent's eyes, rudely locking her gaze and the other returned it just as menacingly.

"I was getting to _that_, _thank you very much_…Sorry, who are you again? It_ must have slipped my mind_."

"Fuu. And it doesn't really matter to me if you remember it or not. After all, I don't_ usually_ tell my name to people I _never_ plan to see again."

Sparks must have been flying… Hopefully, they wouldn't cause a fire that'd burn down the whole restaurant. Jin and Mugen had already done _that_ in the past…

She haughtily flashed Fuu another glare of hidden contempt. "You see, Guu," Fuu's eyebrow twitched at the mispronunciation… "This isn't exactly _your _business. But if you _must_ know, I'm well above the prime age of _marriage_. I come from the Iga province near Edo where my clan lives prosperously. We've been loyal to the shogun and his retainers since the turn of the era. Even still, I was hoping that my life won't continuously be filled with action. Soooo…."

Fuu still couldn't quite process what this had to do with anything. "Soooo…"

"So, I want to settle down."

"Get to the point!"

"You see…I want you…" she faced Mugen now.

"…to marry me."

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _Uh oh. Catfight! Whatever will poor little Fuu do? And what about Mugen's attraction towards Yatsuha?_

_Haha, you guys must have thought it was Mugen and Fuu being described at the beginning. _

**Sengoku Era- **Warring States Era when Japan was suffering from political instability, before it was unified by the Tokugawa; thus leading to the Tokugawa/Edo era of Japan where Samurai Champloo also takes place.

**Shinobi gei**-"sneaking ninja"

**Gei shinobi**-"homosexual ninja"

_That's why Hankichi yelled at the kid. ^^_

**Kitsune and Tanuki- **in Japanese mythology, foxes or "kitsune" as well as the Japanese raccoon dog (though sometimes mistaken for a raccoon or badger) or "tanuki" are known to transform into shapes, other animals or people to fulfill theiragendas. Sometimes they're depicted as mischevious, other times loyal. Kitsune are commonly depicted as cleverer than the simple-minded tanuki.

**Guu**- the name Yatsuha called Fuu. In Japanese romanji "guu" is the sound that a stomach makes when it is hungry. It's fitting since she eats a lot lol, and it rhymes.

Hankichi: Hello? Anybody there?

Me: HIIIIIII HANKICHIIII!

Hankichi: There's someone who actually knows who I am?!

Me: Of course! Everyone remembers a completely useless one episode side character that has almost no interaction with the main characters whatsoever.

Hankichi: …Oh.

Me: The most memorable thing about you is that weird red dot on your face.

Hankichi: …*shrinks lower into a pool of despair*

Momo: *squeak* (people even remember me better and I have less than ten minutes of screen time) *squeak*

Me: Don't worry man, it'll be okay. *pats back reassuringly*

Hankichi: Watch Samurai Champloo Episode 15 Bogus Booty, everybody! I'm totally in it and…I'm way cooler than that Mugen guy!

Me: *cough cough* Right.

_If anyone is still confused who these two onibawanshu/ninja characters are…PLEASE rewatch Episode 15 Bogus Booty of the anime._

_Anyway, review please?_

_**End of Chapter 13**_


	16. Chapter 14 Coquettish Charm

_**Chapter 14 Coquettish Charm**_

{Original Title: Complications of a Vagrant}

[A/N]: _Watashi wa baka desu! (This was my author's note where I originally made the announcement about revising all my chapters. Can't believe it took me this long to actually do it!)_

_May seem OOC on Mugen's part mainly, 'cause he's so complicated when it comes to women and his feelings for a specific one. Forgive me..._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. I used to wish I owned Samurai Champloo like you. Then I took a samurai sword in the knee….Skyrim reference… And no, I don't own any Elder Scrolls material either.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 14 Coquettish Charm<strong>_

If Fuu hadn't set down the platter she'd been holding so tightly up until this point, it would have slipped from loose clutches and shattered to pieces across the dining table.

"W-what? Did you just say…marr-"

"Marriage. Yes, you heard me perfectly the first time." Yatsuha was examining her filed nails nonchalantly as if her proclamation wasn't fully meant to leave any lasting impact. The girl in pink and the man in red acquired eyes the size of autumn's full moon. _'I mean giving a few hints could have been enough but wow!'_ From a sudden confession such as this one, Fuu might have laughed if she hadn't believed full well that the other woman was serious and she was. Ooooh yes, the onibawanshu agent was dead serious.

Mugen turned into a slab of stone. He'd never once considered marriage or any woman being his wife for the remainder of his life, mainly because taking a wild wolf and converting it to a lapdog wasn't in any regard a future desired. To add, no one ever was that interested in a serious relationship with him. He was the guy girls swooned over—not the guy women would finally settle down with for the rest of their life because he was a respectable man that could provide for them.

_Fuu's _voice was the device breaking up the repetition of the word "marriage" in his psyche.

"Like _that's_ going to happen! Do you even know anything about him? He's practically incapable of having a stable friendly relationship with a rock! You expect _HIM_ to marry you?!" The girl in the pink kimono stood up then, nearly knocking over her cup, her squirmy voice raising on the verge of defensive...? Even Mugen flinched from the high pitched ring of her shout. Some other patrons as well as the waiter looked at the trio's table which made Fuu blush and humbly take a seat once more.

_But she was right. And it pissed him off she was actually right about something._

"I can manage, _believe me_. And that's why I would like to spend more time with him. Hopefully we can get to know each other better."

"Well babe, that depends on _how exactly_ we're_ gettin'_ _to know_ each other." he gave a fickle smirk along with an added eyebrow wiggle.

"Mugen!" As customary, a bickering contest began about Mugen's "antics" and Fuu's "bitchy complaints".

After Fuu finished trying to kick him under the table, Yatsuha leaned her chin on her palm with that same skeptical, judging look she gave Fuu prior to her matrimony pitch. "I've been meaning to ask this for awhile…what exactly _are you_ to each other anyway? I hope you two aren't-"

"BELIEVE ME, we're_ nothing_. Mugen's my…old bodyguard when I was traveling to Nagasaki over a year ago. Now, we're searching for our other traveling companion. He's-"

"Her boyfriend." Mugen added with distaste. He wondered if she purposely neglected to mention that they were supposed_ friends_; of course, this wouldn't bother him so much if it wasn't her who gave the whole speech about them being friends a while ago.

"Wha- NO! Jin is _not _my boyfriend. But anyway, he's a ronin with long black hair tied in a ponytail, a very serious personality, pale skin and wears glasses. At least, I think he does… He used to wear a pair."

Her stare found Mugen across the table, questioning why he'd make such a statement.

He wouldn't look back. Fuu straightened up, listening for any information on Jin.

"Hmm…I wouldn't know. Sorry." Ignoring Fuu again, the ninja returned to chatting up the man next to her once more.

As much as things were playing out—the way the whole restaurant felt as though death itself disquieted the mood, the way Yatsuha _looked at him_—it became just too uncomfortable for Fuu to linger any longer. Across the table, Mugen was fidgeting with an especially restless look. Fuu took it as boredom by her barely enduring company. She shouldn't stay. Rather, she couldn't. That wouldn't be fair on their parts, they deserved time alone. It wasn't like…Fuu was_ something _to him.

"Is there an inn nearby?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes. My partner and I are holed up there. It's the next street over, on the left hand side. You can see it from outside here.

"I'll be leaving then." was all that was uttered before the brunette's hair swished against her back. Neither waiting for a reply or giving a thank you, Fuu basked in the fresh air of midday. The sky was carefully being swallowed by an unavoidable darkness much earlier than the summer days of the past. At first she doubted Mugen even noticed her taking leave; too busy with his new catch. From what Fuu could see...Mugen really _did_ have interest in her. The way they looked at each other, their voices, _everything_.

It was the first time his less than _not annoying _traveling companion _did not_ make a huge deal over women interested in him. And Yatsuha's interest was a lot more than insubstantial. He had to pursue her. She was acting too weird.

Something inside Fuu appeared to have clenched when the sound of geta followed, further tightening her balled hands, waiting for him to initiate conversation considering how he'd barely said a word to the younger woman in Yatsuha's company.

"Oi, where you off to?"

To his dismay Fuu had yet to face him fully and he _hated_ when she did that. "That inn down the road." she answered indifferently, pointing off to her left randomly…which she honestly didn't remember Yatsuha's specific indication but there really was a building resembling as much down the road. She was just planning on going somewhere, _anywhere_.

"Well…don't get your ass kidnapped on the way there." There was a hint of hesitance to those words, though Fuu didn't catch it. Even for the near sighted, the dwelling was a perfect eye distance from the restaurant. There was a sign filled with brightly painted letters shouting out for the nearly somnolent. Such sarcasm was all she noticed and expected from him, no real concern for her well being; _he always treated her like a little kid._

The streets were loud with the footsteps and voices of Kanazawa's citizens. But Mugen still hadn't made another sound or moved an inch closer to her. So, she finally faced him to meet his stare full on.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Fuu asked flatly, as if it was a monotone tune lost in another rhythm, another rhythm they've heard too much—of indifference and parting ways.

Through coffee eyes—not the apathetic voice—did Mugen witness ambivalence. The smart remark he was to make caught somewhere halfway inside his throat. "And…That Yatsuha chick, she ain't-" A sweating palm caressed the back of his neck to help find the right words, neither addressing concern nor insult. "Hey, I-"

Past him, plainly seen was Yatsuha's figure leaned up against the white washed walls of a building. There was a smile on her face, expectant and cheery no doubt, while she waited for the company of her unexpected love interest.

"…Don't you have someone waiting for you?"

Right then, he frowned and in that same second rotated his course back to Yatsuha. She was expecting a "dumb broad" drifting in the wind. It did not come. Not a phrase more. Her bodyguard walked along with Yatsuha through the masses, another woman alongside him that wasn't her…a strange sight to see, white and red connected at the hip.

Arms quickly swung at her sides to hurry her speed. Fuu's whole body was close to collapsing onto hard pavement when she tripped on minor cracks and stones. _'Jerk, idiot. Irresponsible, perverted JACKASS! You're more concerned about big hooters than finding Jin, or marriage! Halfwit BAKA!'_ were some of the contemplations cramming her head.

Not until Fuu was midway to the hotel did she abruptly halt, turning right back around keeping faith he'd still be visible on the dusty path. She hadn't heard him finish his sentence, say when he'd be returning, nor had she heard if he would want something to eat when he came back or even a little…goodbye.

To her dismay, the hollowed spot where Mugen once stood became replaced by unknown faces melding through the settlement with agendas of their own. Disillusioned feet carried a disillusioned body to its destination; there was no habitual set of wooden clogs that followed.

* * *

><p>So much time passed throughout the day. They'd even eaten dinner together at a more high class restaurant without the <em>annoyance<em>around. From shop to shop, the government agent had Mugen tag along to wherever caught her eye. There seemed to be no end to the marketplaces available of Kanazawa, where purchasable items could empty a spender's wallet in minutes. Mugen and Yatsuha were getting along fine actually—though there weren't as many words spoken between them as she would've liked.

"So tell me more about yourself." The woman started, inclining closer to him if it were even possible.

"Not much more to tell." he replied with a shrug.

"Well umm…how did you learn to fight so good?"

"Just taught myself. Lived in a penal colony full'a criminals. I think that about sums it up itself." Already the offbeat topic seemed remarkably depressing… She pulled away and gave him space. As Yatsuha walked in front of him instead, he'd noted quickly the graceful way her hips swayed with every step. The skin tight white shorts really were good for a woman's figure. Crazy, he thought of the idea he hadn't pushed her up against a flat wall already and…_fill in the blank_. Or at least kissed her—not sweet and gentle either—since this woman was the closest sum up of everything he could ever want physically in a woman; at least that's how he pictured it.

"Any advice on fighting, Mugen?"

"Kill or be killed."

"That's quite a solemn attitude you have. You remind me of my partner, Hankichi. He's such a pessimist!" As they walked through town, he occasionally lagged behind and she'd crane her neck giving a coquettish smile.

…Weird how sick he felt, weird how he didn't have any urge in intimacy or getting laid right now. Nothing was there. Mugen justified he was instantly turned off by the marriage bit. There was no way he'd even consider such an insane idea. Sex maybe—definitely—but marriage was out of the question and it instantly applied too many strings attached to a one night stand than Mugen would prefer.

At one point, the woman only a year younger than himself even grabbed his arm so they'd keep looking around "Look at this place."

An old short shopkeeper partially hidden by the counter gave Mugen a dirty look when he walked in, like he was capable of robbing the whole place; which he wouldn't…because being the world's most _fabulous _burglar wasn't on his To Do's List. For inside the shop were rows of gemstones organized upon stands, some expensive imports from far regions of the world. The kunoichi grazed her fingers upon any that impressed her fancy, even putting one up to her neck.

"What do you think? Pretty?"

He wasn't the type of obsessive compulsive person who focused on the tiniest fragment of detail in clothing or art and whatnot. Truthfully, he really didn't care what women generally wore (he preferred them naked usually) so it was a strange sight to see Mugen studying the blue and pink jeweled necklace. Something about it wasn't right, something he didn't like. She flaunted it multiple times anticipating a positive opinion.

"Don't like it." He answered simply, averting his gaze to other things.

She pulled his hand to examine the rows of assorted trinkets from necklaces, rings and bangles. "Pick one for me, yeah?" she grinned. _God no_. He did not like shopping; especially picking out womanly shit like this that Fuu would wear.

'_The broad would really, really love 'em.'_ The traveler's thoughts moved to her again. _'Not like I'd ever buy them for her.'_

To possibly quiet her demands, he pointed at the first piece of refined gem clusters in a locket style necklace he saw. Yatsuha squinted even as the brooch was unmistakably observable. He only glanced to it for a second but it looked a lot better than that blue and pink thingy. There were two slivers of bright color made from most likely ruby and rose quartz. From the dim shades of the jeweler's store, these similar colors merged well in a pink and red amalgam.

"Why do you like _that_ one?" The by some means irritated voice made Mugen irritated himself; he wasn't expecting a game of twenty questions!

"Hell if I know. Why do girls like jewelry so much anyway?!"

With a sulk and a tilt to her hips, she shook her head multiple times. She told him that the price was way too high which was quite a lie doubting he actually checked it himself. Mugen shrugged before leaving in advance, Yatsuha tagged along empty handed when she noticed him not beside her. _'Jewelry isn't my style anyway.'_

From outside, the two didn't really have a clue of what to do next. The whole time Yatsuha had basically dragged Mugen across town in the hopes their relationship would somehow progress from it. For the record, she wasn't very experienced when it came to romance or dating even if she claimed to want to be married.; kind of ironic.

"Hmm…hey! Come on, follow me." He found his strained arm again being pulled by the hyper woman so keen on being close to him.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, they stood in front of the gates of the intimidating Kanazawa castle.<p>

The agile woman was already halfway over the fence when he realized what was going on. Kanazawa had always been known to have one of the most beautiful castle gardens in all of Japan…which wasn't yet opened to the public. Like he _cared_ what was against the rules.

And truly it was beautiful when the two warriors climbed over. Any flower one could possibly imagine was neatly arranged on the grassy beds. There were bushes cut into neat trimmed shapes, minuet trees organized in vertical rows along the edges of the walls, surrounded by piles of painted rock. Kneeling, Yatsuha felt the petals of an intricate work of nature, a tulip matching her choice of clothes—pure white which quite contrasted the lack of pureness her missions forced her to uphold—so delicate and beautiful all at once.

Clasping his arm again the attractive female led them through a stroll, Mugen extremely uncomfortable by her grip.

They must have been walking for ten minutes. This was supposed to be a romantic stroll through a moonlit garden next to the man whom she wished to wed. Everything should have been dreamy and filled with clouds of romance! The air was calm, the mood tranquil, but that quietness became almost awkward. She bit her lip nervously, almost regretful that they were only mere strangers to one another… Hankichi may have been absolutely right.

The government spy knew he'd enjoy the "I told you so" moment where she'll have to _slug him one_ good.

"So you're a wanderer huh, go wherever the wind takes you?" They stopped their feet, finding relaxation on the benches laid out for royalty taking in the beauty of the private gardens of Kanazawa.

"I ain't the type to be tied down. I'm free. Like the space." It was a hint, the way he said it.

"Tch…seems like you already are tied down to that _Fuu_ girl." As discreetly as possible, Yatsuha was muttering fully disgruntled. She couldn't tell if she was surprised or upset Mugen hadn't really tried to make any move on her. When they'd first met, he tried practically everything to get her in bed.

Mugen's keen ears perked up from the words she affirmed. They made his teeth clench in a way that felt they would shatter from carnal strength. "That brat ain't nothin' to me."

Compared to previously, Yatsuha seemed to close the distance between them immensely.

_What was wrong with him?!_ He could just _take_ her right there. No one was around, and she'd been showing suggestive hints all day. That's all he cared about too. No way in hell was he planning on anything else. "If she's really not…" Fingertips grazed the front of Mugen's white shirt, her eyelashes batting as she moved in closer. Her red tinted lips were tempting for even the devil to ravish. _This was his chance;_ he could finally let out all that pent up sexual tension held up for far too long traveling with the girl—not because of being _attracted to Fuu_ or anything…because there just never was money to be spent at brothel, and she ruined his chances at meeting women. "...then we could maybe-".

The woman's pounding heart increased when the bold man seized her arms in response to her leaning in.

Her pulse sank when he pushed her away.

The vagabond held back.

"Look, I ain't into things like relationships and marriage. Commitment's not my style. So if you're expectin' something more than…" Mugen stood up first, trying to get as far as way as possible from what he knew would be an explosion of emotion to be a reaction. _What the hell was he doing?!_ _'Shit, shit, SHIT! I'm messing up so bad!'_

"You haven't even given me a chance!"

"You already explained what you want from me, Yatsuha. I don't even know you. Honestly, you're attractive as hell and I did want ya that night, but that was a brothel. I only planned for you ta' be a quick fling."

"I've been thinking of you all this time. You're the _only one_ I can find that is perfect for me!" There must have been tears in her eyes now, _ones that did not affect him_. Losing wasn't in her mindset; rejection shouldn't be placed nearby either.

"Guess you'll have to keep lookin' then. Sorry, I'm just not that type of guy."

'_This wasn't supposed to happen!'_ Through blurry eyes she saw him leaving her. "Please wait!" her voice called for Mugen desperately, a chance she didn't want to lose forever. "I came on too strong, just not very experienced with something like this. I'm staying at the same inn your…friend is at. If you want to talk with me more, meet me in my room then. I really enjoyed your company today even if it wasn't long."

"Ya want me to walk you back? I'm bound to be headin' there anyway." the mercenary offered, knowing he'd already practically broken this girl's heart. It was the best he could do.

Yasuha smiled up at him, concealing all those dejected feelings behind a false stutter of happiness. "That would be nice."

* * *

><p>The last song of the autumn cicadas whispered serenely through the chilly nightfall. Their voices were a beauty to Fuu's ears, able to lull her to a deep and dreamless sleep. It is to say that tonight was an exception.<p>

Her stomach was twisting in a strange way, aching as if she were starving and nauseous all at once. Every twenty minutes people stepped along the timber porches outside closer to her room's entrance—where she assumed it was Mugen half the time—returning to their respective quarters past the door. Again the sleeplessly attentive girl huffed, and got up from the blankets into a full sitting position. _'Where is he…'_

'_Right. With Yatsuha, obviously.'_

Momo scrambled his sleepy self from within the pleats of rose flushed fabric, curling up underneath his master's icy palm instead. "At least I have you, right Momo-san?" she asked hopefully. He squeaked twice like he perceived precisely what she'd said. Who knows, the astute rodent probably did.

For a while Fuu sat there, just thinking of random things in the past and present. At one point the thoughts drifted to Jin, the calm and honorable ronin. There had been a time years ago, she remembered, when Jin had once grown a love for a woman named Shino; though Fuu had believed she was just some cheap whore named Kohana at first… Eventually, from the few words he'd spoken, Fuu knew of his endearment for her just from the tone used when describing her. Oddly Shino was a woman he'd met in a brothel much like Mugen's current situation.

Back then Fuu had been a bit frustrated by his uncharacteristic whore house visiting behavior and according to Mugen, was jealous. However, that couldn't have been right for Fuu didn't _think _she felt jealous at all. There was more concern Jin would leave with Shino instead of tracking down the samurai of her past. His new interest had seemed like a cop out; a way to back out of the trio's pact. Jin was so much like how she imagined her father Seizou Kasumi to be. Having him leave would've been the same agony she felt of a parental figure abandoning her all over again.

Not to mention, he expected Mugen and Fuu to continue their journey without him. They might have killed each other back then. If Fuu was the binds that pulled them together, Jin was definitely the pillar that retained their dwindling sanity.

In fact, Fuu would be very much happy if Jin and Shino could one day meet again. Perhaps she was the woman he could finally devote his inner self to, so concealed behind the silent mask he wore. The divorce temple that housed her only lasted three years from what Fuu recalled. Shino's devotion to the sanctuary would soon be finished completely and she'd be free again without threads attached to a cruel husband. How romantic it would be if her fearless hero went back to find her…

…Fuu realized Jin never really went back for _her_ like that.

Then there was the unromantic Mugen… Fingers dug into the plush of the mattress, holding back the impulse to ponder what exactly _they_ were doing together right about now. Seeing him walk away with another woman seemed so much different than Jin leaving to visit a woman he had fallen for. Mugen never fell in love with anyone! _'He could at least be in a proper relationship…or not anything…' Fuu_ thought. _'Why is this bothering me?! He's only an idiot!'_

Jealousy? Jealous maybe that Yatsuha was more womanly, more sexy, more strong…

…_more Mugen's type._

"A-as if I care!" It took a second for Fuu to register she'd yelled the phrase right out loud. Another small noise came in response, a reminder that the flying squirrel was her sole company. Fuu pulled her knees to her chest.

He saved her, he protected her, _he came back for her_. Even still…why has it always felt like a forced promise he'd plagued himself with all this time?

She wanted him to _stay_ though. By staying, what exactly did that mean? She did it again within herself—built a wall—blocked out something her mind wasn't accepting like it had a thousand other times. As deeply frustrated she felt now for the most unknown reasons, she _would not_ say she was jealous of Yatsuha or their vexatious behavior together. Her only worry that she cared to admit to…is that Mugen would somehow maybe fall for the beautiful government agent and leave.

What she didn't realize, didn't want to realize because it has always been there, hiding like a curse that showed the symptoms after many phases of the moon passed: was this fear. _Fear of Mugen fading from her life forever_. It was the same feeling of fear that afflicted her for more than a long time.

_**~To be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _When I watched the anime, I actually loved Yatsuha's character design. But then she wanted to marry Mugen…and became one of the only threats for Fuu and Mugen's relationship. When I think about it…I do feel bad for her. Mugen just doesn't seem like he'd go off and marry a girl he doesn't know. So she wasted all that time. And don't get me started on Hankichi's feelings (subtly in disbelief when she liked Mugen at the end of Ep 15) Or Fuu and Mugen's. Or Jin and Shino. My feels…oh god._

_Sorry Mugen seems a little OOC…I don't want nor do I believe he would have sex with her. (He would if he hadn't met up with Fuu again). He normally would but his feelings towards Fuu (increased by her in his life again) whatever they may be, somehow hold him back. Marriage turned him away even more. I'd love some feedback or advice on this ^^_

_Not many people realize… Mugen NEVER had sex with ANY women in the entire 26 episodes! He came close…but never got the goods. Jin however, was DEFINETLY implied on having sex with Shino. AND, possibly the two unattractive brothel women in episode 15…though that's a rumor on why his back ached. (I think it's 'cause he went into dolphin mode earlier)._

Hankichi: *sighhhhhh*

Me: What's wrong now?

Hankichi: I wanna be in the next chapter! And you keep giving these stupid cliffhangers.

Me: Uh…sorry?

Hankichi: When are we going to see some Mugen and Fuu stuff?

Me: OTPs and kawaiis come to those who wait.

Hankichi: What the heck does that even mean? You just made that up, didn't you.

Me: On another note…you support Mugen and Fuu romance?

Hankichi: ….maybe.

Me: If Yatsuha heard that, she might cut off your most vital asset.

**OTP- **"One True Pairing"

**Kawaii-** Japanese for "cute"

_Please, leave a little review for me and Hankichi. He needs his Fuugen dosage just as much as I do. XP So yeah, thanks guys!_

_**End of Chapter 14**_


	17. Chapter 15 Tokens and Trepidation

_**Chapter 15 Tokens and Trepidation**_

{Original Title: Returning a Forgotten Keepsake}

[A/N]: _Barentain Dei OMEDATOU GOZAIMASU! _Here's the treat that was originally posted for Valentine's Day. I was sick with the flu writing this.

**NOTICE, PLEASE READ**: _Skim through Chapter 4 if you've forgotten what mementos Fuu kept of Jin and Mugen's. It's been many chapters since then._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. By the way, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AGAIN. Valentine's Day is actually in my mindset the Mufuu/Fuugen holiday. Red and pink are the main colors so MUHAHAH. Anyway…hope you guys enjoy the romance filled holiday. Think of SamCham if you have a bad day. ^^

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 15 Tokens and Trepidation<strong>_

"Shit." The infamous syllable slipped from chapped lips, a response to seeing the faint lantern illuminate the room he knew Fuu must have been occupying. She was definitely still awake. Mugen discerned unenthusiastically to what that meant: bitching, complaining, whining and _more_ bitching. On highest guard, he let the panel slide open, wandered in quietly and closed it again with the same movement. The thin slit left from the unfastened panel created a path of light intersecting through the semi darkened floor where the lamp's brightness failed to reach.

No shouting blew his eardrums.

He _did_ see the former teahouse waitress curled on a sleeping mat. Her arms hugged her knees pulled compactly to her torso. Hair covered her face that rested against her legs, obscuring any expression from Mugen's view.

Fuu only briefly looked up when he'd entered. She was shocked, in a way.

"Back so soon?" Cicadas of the distant night's air ceased their harmonious buzzing, the end of an introductory song before the curtain opening; starring Mugen and Fuu as the main performance. He grunted in answer to the question before sitting bow-legged against the wall where another set of fresh bedding wasn't laid out yet. It was neatly folded. "I wasn't expecting you to come back. I thought you'd still be with Yatsuha." whispered the female through loose tresses of lustrous brown.

He felt _so tired, so not in the mood_ and still his ears perked up when Fuu said this. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Well…a guy like you usually isn't into serious relationships so I was expecting you to leave her. But I thought you would've _been_ _with_ her tonight." There was an abashed clack resounding into the walls. At first the female didn't register what said noise was, his jaw having snapped shut.

'_Guy like me…'_

"Why you so sure I _didn't _sleep with her?" Ineffable as the action was, Mugen grinned lecherously when differing gazes met from separate sides of the room. It didn't fool her.

"Like I said, you wouldn't be back so early if you did. I didn't think you'd even bother remembering what inn I was going to… Unless of course, you were following Yatsuha to her own room in this same inn. Still surprises me though… After all, she _is_ your type and she has some sort of feelings for you. I thought you would've taken advantage of that."

Mugen was quite surprised she could identify such a fact, though he didn't pay much attention to that. Fuu was very sneaky with her insults and this one was well hidden; the damned know-it-all believed he was incapable of being more to a woman than a one night stand. "So basically you're sayin' I can't be in a relationship or that I just want sex from women?!" his tone elevated making Fuu flinch back, simply to raise her voice stubbornly in reciprocation.

Her eyes showed disgust. "_Come on_, Mugen! _Honestly_. When was the last time you cared about a girl that you stayed with for more than a night, _without_ having sex?!"

Everything went quiet.

She searched his face for an answer—his closed mouth that would have opened if a tetchy comeback were available his brow that creased like a word was right out of reach and his eyes that were deathly still—and yet…she was confused. Their gapes locked for that second, his being so shady and vague, so different than that fiery brightness she always remembered him withholding. Soft accents of the oil lamp only served in making the lawless vagabond seem darker. _Colder._

Mugen stood, wasting no time in leaving.

"You must know me _pretty damn well_ girlie."

As the lasting thud, the door slammed after the ebbing form of the ex-criminal she'd known for so long. Her palm rose instinctively as if to stop him, though no voice protested his departure. She knew exactly where he was headed.

Yatsuha's room was probably nearby.

Stillness settled restlessly, blanketing Fuu with a sense of realization and even more so; regret. She allowed her eyes to close, inhaling a deep breath for both their sakes. Then…her heart clenched uneasily, coming on like an intolerable wave of pain. She flashed her eyes about the room, debating with herself whether or not to follow him…and apologize, especially after she did realize it; the most obvious, stupid thing ever.

There was this _one_ girl Mugen somehow cared for if he was capable of caring for another human being at all.

Shortly thereon, the beetles hidden in the birch tree's foliage bathed in the harvest moon, pined for a warmer night with another melancholic tune.

* * *

><p>Yatsuha almost practically pulled a knife on his throat until he clarified who the trespasser was in her room. Together they sat and talked—Mugen seriously needing to get away from crazy women altogether. They'd be the death of him. '<em>What am I even doin' here…'<em> Now more aggravated than ever, getting some quick _"play" _didn't seem all that bad of an idea if there still was a chance with Yatsuha.

The woman had put on a plain orange kimono, sitting in a nonchalant feminine position where her legs overlapped each other to the side of her body. Her dark hair with an almost purple sheen was tied exactly the same, the ponytail being slightly messier. He wanted it down so it wouldn't resemble somebody else. "Why did you come here?" she asked.

"Bored I guess." he lied. Honestly, Mugen didn't know what he really wanted anymore. "Curious about some stuff. How'd you find me anyway?"

"Oh, well you're not exactly discreet. The truth is, word has been going around ever since you attacked Shinji Tadaaki. He was a politician's son. A daimyo's son, in fact! The only reason you're so hard to find is because you're a traveler that apparently has no record of citizenship...anywhere."

"…Who?" Names weren't of any importance and this one was quite unacquainted.

Sighing deeply, this gave the reminder that Mugen had forgotten _her_ own name as well. "There was an incident at a teahouse and my guess was this had to do with that Fuu girl too. In Edo, a couple of months back. A daimyo's son by the name of Shinji Tadaaki was attacked by a ryukyuan man who resisted arrest. From my understanding, you and her have also been wanted in the past when we first met a while ago. If the chance arises, they may hunt you or her down for the sake of cutting threads."

She _had to_mention Fuu, the damn wench he was so set on avoiding right now. Nevertheless, his heart rate gave a sudden rise as realization set in; Shinji was the asshole he'd fought when Fuu was harassed_. 'I should've known they'd hold grudges. Now she's still in danger after all this time.'_Mugen became inwardly befuddled they'd go through all that trouble to find two measly people. Then again, Yatsuha had a point when she stated their histories weren't exactly clean. Finding the samurai who smelled of sunflowers made Fuu at risk from the beginning; after the trio found he'd fled her and her mother since he was a main player concerning the leading of the Christian Shimabara Rebellion.

And himself being in danger was an entirely different story considering how he'd been wanted for the majority of his life.

On instinct Mugen looked skeptically to the government spy, proceeding to grab the handle of his European sword. "You gonna turn us in? You _do_ work for the shogunate. "

A little taken aback by the suddenly violent gesture, the threatened woman couldn't help but giggle in response. "Hah…I was going to say that if you lay low they may eventually forget you. His power and control only goes so far. And each region controls their criminal records separately. Besides," she winked. "I think I like you too much for turning you in." Once again, the agent was moving closer to him. "I really am _fascinated_by you."

"Sorry babe, I already told you that whole commitment shit ain't my thing."

By now, Yatsuha padded over to where he sat, proceeding to climb atop his torso in the most enticing manner. Her clothes were loosening, showing off the excess skin running along the government spy's collarbone. Yatsuha…Didn't want to fully do this, but it was a last resort to win him over; since she never yet failed a mission and wasn't going to start today. She didn't give up easily; and for once she wasn't being with a man because it was her job— for once she was doing something by her choice! "That's…I know. I mean we could just…be like this. If that's alright with you?"

He should go along with it. Yeah. Just like this. No commitment, no marriage bull crap. Just. Like. This. _But…_

_He saw a pink kimono._

Mugen hoped this wouldn't happen ever again since they'd been traveling together. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her in months. Somehow there she was right where he didn't want her to be, invading his head like another unwanted dream.

"Mugen?" Yatsuha asked quietly. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she awaited him to lean into her just as she had to him.

It was difficult distinguishing voices now.

_Mugen._

_Jerk!_

_Hey, Mugen?_

_Mugen!_

_Mugen…You're alive._

…he _heard_ pink, if it was indeed possible to hear a color which is very much _impossible_ considering how colors are just reflections of light that the eye can visually capture. Nevertheless, to him…pink was _her_ and her voice and her smell and everything. Shaking it away again, he looked to Yatsuha who now seemed completely stripped of confidence, so unsure of herself from his blank reaction to her advances.

To shut it all out—to shut out the pink—only then…did Mugen capture her lips with his own.

"Mugen…?"

….That voice wasn't in his mind or Yatsuha flirtatiously repeating his name. An unusual oncoming draft entered the room from the fall's chill. The two of them quickly broke off the kiss, and whipped their heads towards the open door where Fuu stood, neither having time to separate from the intimate position. She always did manage to barge in at the wrong time.

And then Fuu finally figured out the entire scene.

"I-I'm sorry!" Fuu exclaimed rather flustered, blushing madly before making a quick dash into the unfamiliar night as soon as she arrived.

"OI! WAIT!" Yatsuha had already tumbled off of him when Mugen yelled, running to the door.

Collecting herself, the "more appealing" of the women stared at the tatami floors enviously, patterned by black strips, then white straw, then black, then white again. This was all her fault though, wasn't it. Somewhere she felt traces of emotion…foreign to her apathetic nature. "Look, my whole plan was to marry you all along. Even when I suggested us being a casual…you know. It was all part of my plan to lure you in." The ex-pirate stared outside from the same place where Fuu once stood, repeating incoherent words beneath his breath. He wasn't paying her any notice as she spoke, so she decided on cutting right to the main point.

"She's a really lucky girl. I bet she's waiting for you to find her out there. You should go." Yatsuha surprised herself by noticing that her once wanton lips now curved into that of a genuine smile.

As a brief whip of wind, Mugen was already gone, a pair of forgotten geta lying still against the edge of the door.

* * *

><p>It was a mistake, an accident…she hadn't meant to catch them about to have… Oh sure she's heard stories of his numerous interactions with femme fatales but that was just way too close than she wanted to see <em>or know<em>. _'At least they still had their clothes on…I-I'm so stupid!'_

She was stumbling while she ran, going so fast that her body couldn't keep up with her will to get as far as possible to any corner of the earth. If she pushed her muscles any harder, she'd surely collapse against the ground. Not to mention, this road was unfamiliar. It could lead to anywhere and if she stopped now, she'd be lost. Despite all this, nothing mattered.

_Because Mugen would leave._

_This wasn't the first time she'd done this._

* * *

><p>"<em>I want one of them to come with me. Mugen. Or Jin. One of them." Sara had said that. She can't stop thinking about it.<em>

_Fuu stands a distance from that of the festival aglow in colors of great variety, lights that create happiness, pondering this request that couldn't be easily fulfilled. And yet, she leans against the rough bark of a tree, stares at the ground, not the light…not the happiness. Either way, something—someone—needs to be decided. _"_Oi, what do you think we should get?" Mugen calls, asking what Sara's son would like and she doesn't want to hear his voice… She only gives a small mumble. __Then she bolts off. _

_There at the bridge with glimmering water, she finds herself crying over things not to be cried over…having to separate when it should never be her choice… Never should have been…_

"What's wrong_?" says a leveled voice, causing __Fuu to jump in her skin, desperately rubbing the trails of liquid originating from her glassy eyes. "No. It's nothing…Sorry…" And no matter what she ever does, she always finds herself crying. So there, all she could do is cover her face behind a concealing hand that hides far more things than just her pathetic tears. "It's just... Sorry..."_

_Jin watches her, silent…and then to her surprise, knows when he states "It's Mugen..."_

_Of course it isn't; how can she ever choose one over the other, like they both didn't matter, both were unimportant—both expendable—to go with Sara?! It's not like her and Mugen are… Somehow, her concealed sobs progress and her shoulders tremble from just the mention of that name._

"_This is about Mugen isn't it…?" the ronin corrects the way he words the phrase_

_And she knows he knows something that she doesn't still, so she lets more tears surface…because she is fully aware Mugen will choose to go with her…and Jin probably never would. "Yeah."_

_It is there…that she hugs Jin for the first time. "I'm sorry..." He puts a calming hand over her shoulder, reminding her so much of her loving father before he abandoned her… And Fuu wishes that...when the time comes, Jin will stay like her father hadn't. _

_But it's Mugen that she truly fears will leave._

* * *

><p>It didn't take very long for her ears to pick up on the sound of bare feet beating heavily against the dirt and an unmistakable agitated voice calling for her; the pursuer must have forgotten his geta prior to sprinting to catch up.<p>

This time, it wasn't Jin chasing after her.

Damn. She was too out of breath. Ragged gasps and inhales served only to fail miserably in receiving oxygen. He couldn't see her _like this_, looking so messy and sad.

"Goddamnit! Stop!" As Fuu had expected, Mugen caught up to her easily, alas panting out of breath almost as much as the girl.

"I didn't…I didn't mean to barge in like that." Fuu quickly interrupted, so keen to get a voice in so he would _know_she wasn't upset or angry, or confused or anything else. And she definitely wasn't…right? She couldn't look at him after seeing that, especially after that woman…made that confession. He knew that woman's feelings and still he… "You were going to… After she said all that? That was _marriage_, Mugen. Are you…are you planning on leaving with her after all?"

Beyond anymore niggling doubt, he became aware something was off when her face finally turned to him. It would be very hard for a man like Mugen to describe, this guise of containing something buried away; like one wrong word could change her expression into something else. Fuu looked away once more, not before giving a half hearted laugh. "Guess I was wrong. Maybe a guy like you actually _could_get in a decent relationship."

There she went insulting him again.

"Whatever I'm plannin' on doing, or wherever I'm plannin' on going ain't any of your business anyway."

The night was sinking in around them, the trees giving whispers to each other, mounting the tension of it all. She turned fully to him now and that was where all the built up, held in, begging to be released yelling began.

"Oh, really?! If it interferes with our journey then it should. You promised you'd help me!"

He yelled right back, "I never promised to help find your_ tall, dark and Four-Eyed _boyfriend!"

_Mugen is speaking of the calm ronin, so much kinder…so much more considerate, dressed in a dark blue that hugged her, comforted her when all she ever cried about never turned out to be him…_

"Don't you _dare_. Don't you dare bring Jin into this!" she seethed, moving in closer, matching his overbearing leer head on. Sure, Mugen and Jin were equal in swords. Granted: Fuu and Mugen could quite possibly argue to the death.

"You mentioned it first; might as well throw all the damn cards on the table then!" His face was mere inches from her own. Teeth bare, Mugen really resembled a vicious wild animal intent on ripping the throat out of anything innocent. Even as she rightly should have been afraid—like all the other people he'd met—she wasn't in the least bit intimidated at his scowling expression or booming voice, or his entire shadow that covered her. He scoffed angrily, stepping back again by her aggravating self-assurance, hands balancing on the edges of his bony hips. "I don't see how helping you find fish face is in any way benefittin' me."

That was the last straw! Everything was _always_about him and _his_benefit. Mugen lacked any remorse or sentiment.

A finger jabbed into his chest penetratingly, accusing and judging just as her spiteful voice was. "You know what?! FINE! It isn't any of my business what you do! Go marry Yatsuha for all I care! And I _will_ get someone else to help me find my supposed "boyfriend". Someone who isn't an ass, someone who actually helps and _CARES_ like Jin, someone who actually appreciates me and someone WHO NEVER SUCKED AT THEIR JOB!"

"JOB? Who said that?! If I remember correctly, this was MY CHOICE! There was no promise and I sure as _HELL_ WOULDN'T KEEP IT IF THERE WAS! I don't owe you-"

"THEN WHY HAVE YOU STAYED WITH ME ALL THIS TIME?!"

Both of their faces changed. Fuu's after shouting had distorted to shock. Her frail, slightly trembling hands quickly went to cover her mouth…as if she couldn't belief such a proclamation could ever leave her. This must have been the thing she was so sure of holding in. She asked this same question two years ago.

Why now? Mugen asked this to himself more than a few times. Why stay with this irritant of a woman? _Why, why, WHY?!_

He however, would not lose. "Because maybe I feel _a little_ bad you ain't gonna find your stupid samurai without me. Just like last time. You're sayin' I never did shit, huh?" Fuu still had yet to say a comeback so he furthered on with his chance to rant. "Jin _this_, Jin _that_. You don't seem to realize another gullible dumbass busted his balls trying to protect you 'cause you're so fuckin' head over heels in love with JIN!"

Mugen rarely used Jin's name.

She caught that glint in his eye; it was fiery and disdainful and filled with the most irritation she'd ever seen him have. His irises holding such coldness only a half an hour ago now showed strong emotion suggesting something similar to resentment. Still not a word from Fuu, although he didn't care to notice that her fists were clenching tightly at her sides as if she was containing the urge of slapping him! "That's exactly why you kept _his broken glasses,_ you _love _the guy! It doesn't matter who helps you, me or anyone else, so find him yourself dumb bitch!"

If the young woman wasn't so heated herself, she could have pointed out that his expression was the same one she had when images of Mugen and Yatsuha—_and_ _Mugen and Sara once_—danced around her head.

"Mugen…you…" A hand moved into the inner pocket of her kimono, pulling out an item.

_She couldn't be…._

"You what?! Say it, goddamn it!"

"YOU IDIOT!" Her elevated shout concealed a very hushed sob that escaped without meaning to. An object was shoved without warning into Mugen's chest while Fuu took off running once more. His surprise gave her the opportunity of him not hear her voice crack.

_Was she…_

Fast reflexes from years of fighting caught the object thrown upon him before it slipped to the awaiting dirt; it was cold metal in his hands, red in color. Not long did it take for Mugen to fully recognize its appearance.

A tanto; the very same tanto he'd kept as a last resort two years ago. She somehow found it. _She kept it._ Fuu actually kept it. Half of it was new; a red case seemed crafted instead of the entire sword sheath he used for concealing its true nature in the past. Now he understood why she was so angry whenever Jin was mentioned, like she favored one over the other. This whole time he was so caught up in her favor for Jin all because she held no memento of his ownership.

_She was crying._

Within a minute he caught up to her once more, yanking the pink fabric of kimono like a command to look up at him. "Hey…You cryin'?"

Her face was beat red, wet lines marking an evident trail of what Mugen already deemed existent. "Of course not! Why would I ever…"

"Cut the bullshit." Mugen stated seriously. "Just say it. If you're mad, _tell me_. How the fuck am I supposed t'know what's botherin' you if ya don't flat out say it?!" her body shied away when his two hands firmly gripped her shoulders. They were the same hands that crushed bones, snapped necks, blood tainted in all regards.

And somehow he could hold back this overwhelming power for her.

It came out as a whisper, "I really wished you would've…would've stayed with me till the end." that gradually escalated in a volume he was fully expecting. "And you're an asshole, and a jerk and you piss me off a-and sometimes I REALLY think I hate you!"

He remained quiet.

Slowly, her resolve began to chip."…But I wanted you to always stay like before. For once I want you to travel with me on your own terms. I know you like her and I'm being selfish by forcing you to help me again. I'm being stupid because I promised myself I'd be independent…that I didn't need you or Jin again. And then…I was_ scared_ that you forgot about me, that I didn't matter to either of you and that the past stays the past and only that and…Just… Go. Go with Yatsuha."

"Just because you told me to, I don't want to go with her."

He said flatly.

The trademark statement led to Fuu having no idea what to have as an appropriate reaction. It was an idiotic statement yes, but it's Mugen! Mugen said…

'_Not going? He's…not going with her?'_Some girly emotion deep inside, the one always managing to well up in the form of tears in the corners of her eyes for Mugen appeared. Fuu quickly knocked his hands away and gave the best impression to still sound every bit infuriated. "Be serious for once! Is that the only reason?!"

"Well if you paid attention, I wasn'tthat interested. And how crazy do I look to marry some random chick? Does this sexy guy look_that_ desperate?" Mugen grinned, cheeky like. One moment he was a scary wolf, another a goofy monkey!

It was enough to change her scowl too, as much as she held back from doing so. "Maybe you do." Her giggle put both their minds at rest finally. This must have been the first time they managed to stop an argument without an intervention from Jin or completely avoiding each other altogether.

"Well I ain't desperate. Plus, I hafta take you to your boyfriend."

"Jin…isn't my boyfriend."

"And I'm still frickin' single. Shit, that took _forever _to sort out! That lady kept comin' on to me. You should've seen it!" His hands raised above his head like he was ready to burst into the most triumphant shout that their argument ended when it should have never began in the first place.

"Mugen…?"

"Hah?"

"Am I forcing you again? Traveling with me, I mean."

The ex-criminal headed back to the direction from whence they came, taking in a glance at her still engrained to that spot on the thin path. In the moonlight, her face reflected worry that he wasn't used to seeing. Who knew a woman so _bitchy _could agonize over a detail like that. To lighten the mood again, he tossed another insult to partially peeve her. "You know…I was always plottin' to leave during our last journey to find that sunflower dude."

"Eh?!"

"Never did though, least not for long." he added.

"So then…why did you always come back? I mean, if you wanted to, you probably could've. And Jin…well, he probably would have left if you did." This man shocked her. Mugen of all people looked illusory, moving in real close. An increasing rhythmic heartbeat pounded in her ears, so loud and pulverizing to the core, especially when he leaned towards her. _She was finally scared of him._ Not a bad fear did Fuu feel, the enthralling kind that strangely captivated her senses. Mugen smelled salty and wild, a scent strangely original. This odd feeling stirred in her chest and she had to keep reminding herself of what an idiot he was, to keep it at bay.

Pulling back the strands of hair dangling by her ear, Mugen leaned in, a warm breath ghosting across the sensitive expanse of her neck—causing Fuu to tremble in pure anxiety. '_Wha- WHAT?!'_Every nerve in her body was ready to implode on itself!

"You really wanna know?" His whisper was raspy, a low masculine sound that made her stomach twist in the most outlandish way. "Always was hopin'..."

He leaned closer.

"...you'd buy me those hundred dumplings you still owe me."

The smirk only the devil could make was inches from her own vacant expression. Then, Mugen proceeded on walking away leaving a very flustered Fuu behind.

She was so ready to either kill him…or rip her own hair out; the first choice seemed the more appealing of the two. "You said fifty originally." Fuu whined to seem overly natural while skipping ahead, both actions done to cover up the pink shade sure to last.

"And you said a hundred! You owe me girlie."

This man may not be here with her for very long, but even if it's brief, he _is_ here right now and those seconds ticking away faster than she wants are the ones that matter. Fuu can be…at least she _hopes_ she can be content with that.

* * *

><p>The forlorn woman leaned her arms against the ground porches' railing. Cicadas freed of their tension filled stage sang a tune for any who cared to listen; Yatsuha was one of those people, who breathed in the fresh air of the cold season, laughing quietly to herself over all the foolish things someone like her could do. "I really do have a lot more to learn, don't I." she sighed.<p>

A comforting voice—one she could identify from anywhere—was beside her. "You sure do. How'd everything work out?" Hankichi dressed in black, pulled back the torn scarf covering his mouth with an index finger. She revolved herself, leaning her back against the railing. Not a word was said, she could only shake her head without a falter to her smile and her partner nodded knowingly, averting his eyes to the bright moon of the distant sky.

"In that case...I have a proposition for you."

Hankichi didn't seem the same for some reason. Way too serious, perhaps.

"Yeah? Well let me hear it…"

The cicadas concluded, giving him the longest chance in the world for a private stage, to confess every word he'd been rehearsing for hours on end. "No…It's more like a proposal…uh… How do I say this…" there he was, the blubbering fool, a boy still, who'd never be able to confidently tell a woman his feelings at all. _'Not again. Not now.'_

"Damn it, Yatsuha!" Taking the final initiative to spill out the sincerest of confessions, his natural instinct was to forcefully pull her body against his, a squeak escaping the usually poised woman at the coarse action. She was thrown off guard… No one threw her off guard!

In between, Hankichi somehow managed to…kiss her gently. The woman was dazed! But more pleased and relaxed than she'd been in a while. She could tell how nervous he was, and even her own heart signified the same feeling. No man had ever kissed her like that, so _youthfully_. _So inexperienced_. It didn't matter because it was _enough_. She returned it.

As they pulled away, their stares both averted…

"I'm proposing to you." His gloved hand nervously lingered on her arm, unsure whether to stay put or shy away.

"You would be willing to…be with me? I always thought…"

"Haven't I been here the entire time?"

* * *

><p><em>She remembers falling and a gentle hand helping her up that was just a little bigger than hers. "Yatsuha! How are we ever going to grow up to be like super stealthy ninja if you keep tripping?"<em>

_She remembers her training, and a scolding voice at her failures only to encourage her moments later. "Did you hear that? We got our first mission! FINALLY! Guess all that random stuff we did paid off."_

_She remembers the freedom she felt running by this boy's side. "We gotta hurry! Delivering this letter to the shogun is our main priority. HEY, don't read it! That's an enclosed document!" _

_She remembers this…little crush she always had on her very diligent partner._

"_Hankichi…" And she remembers…seeing his tortured, broken body on the floor. Tortured because he refused on telling the identity of the other undercover spy at the brothel…He protected her, shielded her from their knowledge. "Yatsuha…Run…They're, they're the Negoroshu." He winces in pain… "It'll be alright…"_

…"_After all, he's going to be my husband!" She says to him on the sunny morning after they arrested the secret counterfeiting syndicate, a job done well…a job they completed together._

"_Eh."_

"_I'm in love with him!" she exclaims rather proud…failing to notice how her partner stops despairingly in his tracks._

"…_A-ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"_

* * *

><p>Through her whole life he'd always been there even if she believed he looked at her as a platonic childhood friend. How could she be that naive on love? "Hankichi…I never knew that you…I always thought… I-I…"<p>

"I never thought I'd see the great kunoichi Yatsuha at a loss for words." His chuckle reassured her heart more so than any man's voice. Together, they could be childish, and naïve. What did it matter?

There was much she had to learn about herself. So many little things that she took for granted. The spy, the kunoichi, the agent…No. All _Yatsuha_ _the woman_, had to do was give that real smile again and surely…she could find her way.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _That's that. Another loose end the series left, tied up. Many more to go XO_

Fuu: Why are you barefoot…?

Mugen: Forgot my geta, and I would take your sandals but they won't fit.

Fuu: Well duh, your feet are waaaay too big.

Mugen: Heh…You know what they say about guys with big feet…

Fuu: Big tabi socks?

Mugen: *slaps forehead* Never mind. In your case, small feet definitely means small boobage.

Fuu: Hey! …wait….big…feet….*blushes violently*

_I think Fuu got it.__I'm slowly adding more hints to Mufuu/Fuugen, though there will be less and less subtly as it goes on._

_THANKS EVERYONE! Review for Valentine's Day (even if it's not Valentine's Day anymore...). Be my valentine, kay? 3_

_**End of Chapter 15**_


	18. Chapter 16 Virtuous or Vehement

_**Chapter 16 Virtuous or Vehement**_

{Original Title: Softly Now…the Beat of My Heart}

[A/N]: _Oiiiiiii! Minna! _

_Everyone's asking 'bout Mugen and Fuu kissing and romance stuff. I was trying to keep this as subtle as possible for as long as possible. So here's kind of a treat? It's not anything major but it's something…I guess. Don't hate me fluff lovers o.o_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Though…my love for it surpasses all time and space. One day…one day… I will! Pshht. No I won't.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 16 Virtuous or Vehement<strong>_

The hour was late when Mugen arrived at the lounge. Hazy tufts of smoke, accompanied with the mixture of hardy voices cloaked the strident form managing to slip by unnoticed—most likely because he blended in here—(whether that was good for his female companion or not). This diner wasn't vile in appearance or anything. Though, the clientele appeared more rugged than the usual places where Fuu found work. In the last week of staying in the city of Fukui, the two wayward wanderers were barely in each other's company. There had been no fights…unless counting Fuu's arguing about why money was essential in their travels. Oh, how their money had went thin. At some point they lacked the _luxury_ in renting a…cheap room.

The situation had become as bad as the feckless tramp—_Mugen_—finding work to _at least_ sate their growing appetites. He guessed she was working extra hours. Today business was slow where Mugen "worked". Having nothing else to do, the man decided on visiting his fellow traveler at her own job.

Mugen leaned beside the flap, crossing arms casually over his chest, failing to prevent the smirking at an erratic body trying hard to fulfill every order thrown her way. Said waitress kept sweeping back a stray strand of hair, maddening further the more it refused to stay behind her ear.

"I'd take a breather 'fore ya fall flat on your face." A voice caused her to whirl around to meet it.

There was still someone waiting for a seat. As her tired ogle lay upon Mugen for the first time since he'd entered, her face shined naturally. Fingers gripped his arm, directing him to a seat in a more unprofessional sense.

"Weeell, I'm off of work in a half an hour or so." Then, with a beat to her skip, Fuu departed once more to run errands. An accustomed voice beckoned her return. "Hey, waitress!"

Fuu turned around. "Huh?"

Tapping his middle finger methodically along the table, the vagrant gave a fake though not any less realistic looking scowl. Her and Jin were the only ones capable of pointing out the difference between the fake "I'm being an asshole" scowl, to the one that meant "you are literally about to die".

"Well you're sure shitty at your job. Didn't even take my order."

A lackluster eye roll is what he received. "Fine. What would you like, _sir_."

"Bottle of sake. And make it snappy." he requested, using the gesture of snapping fingers to mark the last word. Usually amounts of alcohol that size made Fuu weary, but she _knew_ Mugen; not only could the ex-pirate handle alcohol awfully well, there was also no fear of him trying to cop a feel of any part of her. Because she had nothing to grab at anyway, as _this one guy_liked to recap on. Back to work she went, smiling covertly whenever her arrogant bodyguard's resting figure came into view.

Mugen took this brief time to observe his surroundings. Some drunkards were causing a commotion, nothing serious. There were those who clapped, laughed, most were in the highest of spirits this evening. Maybe that's why his companion would pick such a place; cheerful about summed her up.

Although…there was this one thing that did concern the most indifferent man that ever existed.

Not distant from the entrance, a group of samurai mutely assembled at a round table. They weren't some roaming group or just guys with swords; their crests entailed of stern regime.

One of them tipped back a glass for a quick swig of potent alcohol—he seemed the most nervous of the seven—glancing about the restaurant. Another tall man had his eyes closed, probably the leader to the band. The shortest of the bunch chortled while busying himself eyeing some woman. Two more servers were on the floor, so Mugen followed the gaze to which lady the guy found so appealing. "I won't be able to control myself, the way she keeps shaking her hips like that." The samurai shook his head, snickering amongst his male companions and even Mugen would have laughed at how similar they were to his own words when he was attracted to a girl. See, Mugen _would have laughed…_

…if the woman they were sizing up wasn't Fuu.

She came back over, handing her would-be "customer" a bottle of the finest stock they held in the back storage.

"Took ya long enough. Don't be expectin' a tip from me, lady."

"Oh _please_, like you could_ afford_ that anyway. I'm not even expecting you to pay the tax!"

With a snicker to her offensive declaration, "Hey, guess you_ can_ be observant when ya wanna be." An eventual smile coming from the same woman who stated the insult, he too laughed and popped off the cap of the sake and took a long, desired sip.

But…was this brat _that naïve_that she couldn't take notice of men resembling starved hounds stared her down like a piece of meat? Apparently yes. No wonder Fuu was so regularly kidnapped! It was really starting to pick at his last nerve, not that he usually had a lot to pick at. The more the warriors flapped their lips, the more sexual the statements got. _'She ain't even hot. What are they, blind, deaf AND dumb?'_

Promptly, Fuu who was almost done with her shift took a seat beside Mugen still taking rapid gulps straight from the sake bottle. The one chortling guy turned to Mugen, seeing the object of his attention snuggling up to the ryukyuan in the corner and…a frown of jealousy couldn't be contained from the undersized samurai.

Maybe it would have been better if Mugen had just got up and beat the hell out of them. It would have been a more_Mugen_ thing to do. He was so _not_ in the mood of her getting abducted by some strange group of people like all the other bazillion times_that_ happened and him having to chase after halfway across the damn city.

So for some reason_(__God knows why__),_ Mugen snaked his arm over the waitress' shoulder in a protective hold instead of creating a fight.

Well…for one, he loved to tease her so he couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be. Then again, that couldn't be the sole reason why he was getting so wound up… By pretending he was her boyfriend, perhaps these men would shoo away.

The large party across the room was still talking shit!

"Mugen…What are you doing?" He could feel beneath the weight of his left bicep that she froze up.

Continuing further with some suggestive antics, he craned his lips just beside her ear while whispering a simple enough phrase. "What's it look like I'm doin', girlie?"

The men were still watching them! And the one was still making extremely vulgar statements about Fuu. It boggled the ex-pirate's mind she could be _so oblivious_! Apparently, she only found herself concerned over being stringently pressed against another very arrogant male. The heavy sword which hung on his seat was grasped as a warning to the samurai, not unlike the primal growl of an untamed wolf.

Two seemed to get the message.

"Ummm…." The waitress clearly was flustered; thin fingers nervously gripped the fabric material on her lap. '_M-Mugen never acts like this! Is he drunk or something?! I didn't think the alcohol could be that strong!'_ As she thought this, Mugen's mouth moved nearer to her ear. Honestly he forgot for a second about those lecherous scumbags and focused solely on Fuu's thrown off balance reaction. _Priceless._

The next move was beyond scandalous.

Mugen will swear on his life that he only did it as a final statement to the group of samurai mentally molesting Fuu, he would say he _ONLY_ went through with it because it was all he could think of, he was _ONLY_ playing pretend boyfriend to protect her.

For that sluggish second, his sharp incisor nipped the cartilage on Fuu's earlobe. Careful not to bite too hard…the noise Fuu let out made him second guess his tenderness…

She almost flipped a table, or spilled all the sake, or killed him: possibly all of the above!

'_?!'_

"AHH….I-I-I-I…uh….I have to go talk to the owner. I'll be back!" Her petite frame disappeared past the tables filled with swarming patrons, gone from view quickly, while Mugen fixed a purposely marked glower back on the group still whispering among themselves.

"Looks like she got a boyfriend. Don't matter to me though." That short bastard was about to get his heart ripped out if he didn't smarten up and _shut up_. Again, their leader spoke unquestionable authority to the group. Mr. High and Mighty seemed to be the only one taking anything seriously. "You seem to forget. There is a job to be done. So leave such desires in check." Mr. High and Mighty said.

"Aww, what a waste." Chortling Bastard groaned.

What was then heard made Mugen finally snap. _Something along the lines of darkness and an alleyway where they could all take turns on her._ _Something about how the girl's boyfriend wouldn't cause shit with them because they were government samurai._

Stand-In Backup Samurai intervened into the conversation. "You do realize that waitress is the one we are to kill right?"

Was Mugen hearing correctly or was that the minor buzz hitting his typically acute senses?

"Well yeah…But come on, she won't be remembered. Let's just have our fun before fulfilling the order." That Chortling Bastard wasn't giving in any time soon.

If it couldn't get any worse…They weren't just sleazebags planning on raping the innocent girl in some unnamed alley. They were government samurai,_ searching_ for Fuu to eliminate once and for all. It had been almost a year and a half since they were wanted in the past though… Kariya Kagetoki, along with Umanousuke and his two brothers were already dead because of the ronin and mercenary.

Why were there still searches for the daughter of the remnant of the Shimabara Rebellion?

Something Yatsuha had said beforehand rebounded back into mind.

_"There was an incident at a restaurant and my guess was this had to do with Fuu too. In Edo, a couple of months back. From my understanding, you and her have also been wanted in the past. If the chance arises, they may hunt you down for the sake of cutting threads."_

The government spy was correct in that fact.

"Fine. Do as you wish. As long as the target gets eliminated afterwards." Giving the affirmation to be allowed the privilege in whatever sick plot they designed to be Fuu's inevitable fate before she was to be killed, the other sick, twisted men laughed again and downed what was to be their last round of shots.

'_That is so fucking it.'_

None of them anticipated the foreboding being to loom over one of the samurai whom had a topknot neatly arranged upon his head.

"What the hell do _you_ want? We're kinda busy here so if you've got a problem-"

Mugen's fist was so fast; no one even seen it make the connection directly into the man's jaw. As the group of men stood, their glasses tipping over, Mugen thought better of fighting them all inside and departed with the entry flap again grazing over his taunt shoulders. Last time the seventeen year old girl lost her job because of the altercation with Shinji Tadaaki. And, Fuu would probably intervene in some way which could quite possibly get her hurt. The man was yelling in agony, Mugen awaiting them to follow. They did.

* * *

><p>"This is it, right? That alleyway you wanna rape her in. Were you planning on just dumpin' her body somewhere else too?!"<p>

"This doesn't concern you, step aside." The authorities' voices ricocheted through the corridor as a boom of threatening thunder. In the face of danger,_ no way in_ _hell _would Mugen even begin to back down.

"Can't. I'm…her bodyguard." …He knows he gave that job up a long, though, unforgotten time ago. In no form was this his responsibility…may not even concern him truly… Nonetheless, here he was and here he'd stand to fulfill this thankless task. Perhaps he still was…a bodyguard, _her bodyguard_; Fuu probably wouldn't disagree. "You and your goddamn power trips! Is it that hard for your ugly asses to get laid that you hafta resort to takin' advantage of women?"

"A sellsword, I see. Her two bodyguards in the past left her and she hired _you _in their place? I doubt your skills could match up to their expertise; they'd taken down our best officials. They were formidable." Little did they know…he used to be one of those same bodyguards. "Takin' me for granted, eh?" Mugen almost guffawed at their stupidity and lack of observation.

"Surely you could be bought out. I do wander where your loyalties lie, yojimbo." a samurai huddled in the back surfaced with the words.

"It's none of your damn business!"

"With a girl so feeble, you defend her? She is just _one, measly _girl. You're willing to die here for that?"

"Who said I'd be the one dyin'?" Reaching for the blade strapped at the back, he found no metal hilt to grasp. _'Shit.'_ Must have forgotten his sword.

Huh. _Lay low. _How the hell could they when countless sought to provoke them?

* * *

><p>Another waitress beginning her shift shortly after Fuu's explained what happened while the girl collected her pay. She found Mugen's tab at the table he sat, complemented by a tip that was over half of the actual bill. <em>'He'd actually brought money after all…That idiot, where did he go?!'<em>

His unique sword hung by its strap off the seat he'd previously dwelled in.

_'Mugen…'_

Feet barely collided with the earth. She hugged the sheathed blade securely to her chest. '_How could he forget his sword of all things!'_ The atmosphere was uncharacteristically stagnant in the entirety of nightfall. This quiet spoke of the most horrid events having transpired moments prior to Fuu arriving at the scene. Some heavily injured men already began to retreat the passage.

The aftermath of sheer carnage could be glimpsed through that pathway. When everything remained still amongst the undoubtedly eerie calmness, Fuu entered. It was very hard to see, the moon being solo in giving off vague incandescence she so badly needed nut from what she _could_ make out, blood coated the ground as well as some significant amounts layered upon walls of the buildings. A few bodies lay unmoving. Disregarding them, she continued towards the center of the path. Her steps became hesitant the more they dared to tread. Something caught her attention above everything else.

It stood out; a lone beacon.

There was a man; he sat motionless with the left wall of the alley providing support so he didn't topple on his side. Crimson blood—a lot of it— pooled; encompassing his unconscious form to further stand out in absent radiance.

However, it wasn't the reddened liquid that made her heart refrain from beating for a second. No, the red clothes struck a much deeper ache. She somehow eased her hesitant footsteps to approach the inanimate form—when complete horror and disbelief threatened to consume her entirely— swirling in little whirlpools of grief. Halfway to the body, Fuu gasped from the shock of it all. Tears threatened to stream.

The girl ran to him then, her knees knocking together, soon colliding beside his arm. Blood soaked into the edges of her kimono, deriving from the excessive amounts running along the cracks and bumps of the cobbled pavement_._ So much of it… It was a wonder the waitress didn't faint when surely others would. The small tanto returned to him a mere week ago was held limply in his usually strong clutch.

'_No.'_

She always was fond of repeating his name, when he angered her, when he annoyed her…when he was in danger… What a strange feeling that her voice was dry, so strained; it felt as if some force had torn out every vocal… _She couldn't even whisper his name._ Mugen's eyes were closed, his mouth the tiniest bit ajar. He looked so peaceful, so calm—and so…

_Lifeless_.

_As Fuu desperately studied him, she could find no evidence of breathing._

Somehow her mind found a way to coherently beg him to wake up, to answer her at least once. For every plea that spilled from urgent lips, she would nudge him, pressing her soft palms against his olive tinted skin that reminded her so well of the ocean. Over and over, the chant of begging continued.

"Hey…wake up."

When Fuu received no recognition of her presence, the bleakest of tears refused to be held back.

'_Why…'_

"Idiot idiot idiot IDIOT!" Fuu screamed, screaming so loud her lungs burned. She leaned into him, balancing her head against his shoulder, not bothering to regulate the long lashes brimming with water slipping off the edges.

'_You don't know…'_

_"Please__…__just wake up!_"

_He couldn't be…gone. That wasn't possible because Mugen is Mugen and he can't die. This just doesn't happen! _

"Mugen. Mugen! Please, wake up! MUGEN!"

"…Damn, can't you be a lil' more quiet for once?"

…came the gruff voice. "God… my fuckin' head hurts…" Bumping Fuu away, the very much alive (well…kind of half dead judging by the injuries) Mugen massaged his sore temple where glass appeared to have shattered in a jagged collison.

…Oh hell no.

"You-you…" Peeved by his pseudo death, Fuu almost punched him…then she realized how brutally injured he really was. Anger still did flare from the worried, the once distraught. _Pure wrath_. "You could've said something earlier! I thought you were dead, IDIOT!" _But so much relief, a tight knot uncoiled itself amidst those same maelstroms of grief…to be free._

_'Can't you just SEE how much I care?!'_

Something about the expression he gave back was more staggered, more affected by her sobbing. "You thought I would die that easily? Didn't I already tell ya I wouldn't d-GAH!" Blood began to spill out substantially where the injuries punctured deep.

"We need to get you out of here!"

The moon began to shine brighter, even with the lack of stars, lighting the paths of empty streets.

* * *

><p>"Ah! Fuck! Can ya not be so rough?!" The girl relented when he uttered the yelp, only to resume dabbing at the nasty gash continuing to bleed upon his forehead. Holes and tears punctured by daisho scattered across baggy clothes. They could always be sewn, Fuu reminded herself, and yet the number of wounds…most would leave some prominent scars.<p>

The two of them found lodging in an abandoned hut towards the poorer district of Fukui. With lack of funds, this was the best and not to mention only place to seek refuge.

"Hold still." The pure seriousness in the tone dazed him so he did as was commanded. _Only command worth obeying. _Quick and soft fingertips cleaned the marks on his face and arms. The ointment applied stung _horridly_, though he could only grit his teeth and endure it. Otherwise, she'd further whine on his safety. Rhythmically, clean bandages were wrapped around his arms. He couldn't help but allow his gaze to wander to her face so delved in concentration. There wasn't anything else to look at after all, and the blurred candlelight surrounded them alone. They were so close together that he could faintly see the speckles of black surrounding her iris; it contrasted well against the captivating brown. He hadn't realized how much he'd taken to staring until another command interrupted such thoughts. "Take off your clothes."

Obviously, Mugen couldn't_possibly_contain the perverse look winding its way into a grin. "_Wow_." he whistled suggestively. "Never knew you had it in ya to be so direct."

"J-just shut up and do it, perv."

"Whatever, bossy bitch." In one fluid moment, the jacket was removed along with the once pure white undershirt. The comment went ignored. Fuu went quiet.

Even without the normal jacket on, his bare skin was streaked with traces of red. Fuu blankly ran her eyes across the expanse of his upper body. Mugen lied back down, wincing in pain. Snapping back to reality and the situation, Fuu shook her head and continued with delicate ministrations on the wounds. "Really, I don't know how you manage to get in such stupid fights! Look at you…all cut up." The blood soaked fabric was repeatedly wrung out in a water pail—the clear liquid blemished further red after each dip—beside the exasperated female. After each cut was rubbed with another heated fabric so to not cause infection, more ointment was applied, and more winding bandages stuck to each injury.

He held an ego filled leer, though not without wincing…"You should've…ah…seen the other guys."

"I _did_. One was lying on the ground, practically drowning in a pool of his own blood! Why'd you start with them, huh? They were trained government officials and you forgot your sword! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?!"

"Can you shut up and stop pesterin' me? You're annoying as it is!"

"UGH! You are SO careless!"she practically whipped the rag into the bucket. Figuring he deserved much more scolding, she added on "Not to mention DRUNK, you _reek_ of booze!"

"'I ain't drunk! One of 'em hit me with a bottle of sake. Notice the cut on my _temple_?!" There was no doubt she noticed, it being the first wound she nursed so madly upon! Where the cut split, black unruly hair stuck to the natural salve.

"Then _please_enlighten me on your stupidity."

Should he say they were being followed? …Fuu would needlessly worry for the rest of their journey if she feared the government was still on their tail… What good would it do her knowing that there were people out to kill her? As long as he was around, she'd be fine. _'But…how long am I gonna be around for?'_

There was a long, thoroughgoing pause which Fuu gradually got frustrated with.

"See? No reason! You cause trouble with guys you don't even know and then…then-"

He finally started, "…Those guys were gonna rape you in some alley. Then probably kill ya too. You were too deaf to notice what they were saying in the restaurant. Least I can get is a fucking _thank you_." leaving out any mention of the specific bounty left on her head. Her reaction was sorrowful, apologetic; he desperately wished she'd just_ stop_ with that tentative look!

"For…for me?"

"Don't know why I bothered, seein' as how I never get appreciation for jack squat and you're always-"

"Thank you." She blurted quickly. Her fingernails dug into the floor. "Thank you, a-and I'm sorry this happened… I really am. It's my fault you're hurt…and-"

"Ya can't blame yourself for what other people were planning to do to ya. Just take this as a life lesson. Be more _aware_ for once so I won't have to protect your ass."

"So...Is that why you…b-bit my ear too?" she mumbled off.

"Yeah, I had to play pretend boyfriend for ya too. What the hell…" Fuu went quiet once more. "Why? What'd you think?"

"Nothing!" Exasperated fully, not to mention tired from work, Fuu divulged the yell louder than she initially planned. As she made last adjustments to casing the wounds in the linen wraps, the woman _knew_ Mugen still held a laugh waiting to be rolled out and thrown in her face.

"Hah! You thought I was doing that 'cause I liked you?! _Please_…"

"Shut up! No I didn't!"

"Yeah ya did, you're such a little kid." Knowing he'd win either way, Mugen pretended to tune her out…like always.

"I'm seventeen, jackass!" The counter wouldn't be good enough…

Feigning amazement, Mugen sat up as much as the injuries would allow. Skeptic eyes roamed her chest. "Really? Could've fooled me. Especially with those nonexistent boobs an' all." Then with a grin, laid back down awaiting the eruption. This on running joke was the favorite to use. Like usual, he of course was expecting an outburst.

…Fuu remained silent.

What caused him to flinch the most—_of all things_—was her composed hand tracing along mending skin. Fingers moved along the wound she bandaged on his side, running towards his chest._Like the brush of the wind._ It was so warm…gentle and…_Fuu_-like.

"You just…worry me. Be more careful, okay?" Maybe if Fuu let her hand slide to the center of his chest, an increasing pulsation would be discovered.

This feeling…it was almost _tantalizing_. Was Mugen getting…

…_turned on_?

'_O-of course fucking not…this is the flat chested wench! Am I that horny from no sex in weeks that I'd stoop that low?!'_ He thought this yes, but the feeling of her hand running along his bare skin was too much.

For a second, he even conjured an image of her underneath him—and…

"_Don't."_The ex-criminal refrained from releasing a sharp gasp when his teeth clenched together, keeping all that male primal instinct well restricted in the cage of his head. There were no comparisons to Mugen and the perverse samurai…he felt disgusted for even_ beginning_ to think that way about the girl. All the while, Fuu's finger moved absentmindedly to another forgotten scar, much older than the ones from today. There were plenty and her fingers couldn't decide to linger on one abnormally pigmented line or another.

"Don't what?" That voice was sweet and smooth; reminded him of the way honey flows, not like some common booze. Larger fingers brusquely stopped smaller ones from moving anymore. Pinning them there…two feral eyes locked directly with hers; _a warning_.

"That thing with your hand. Just _don't_. Don't touch me like that."

"…S-sorry. Did I hurt you?"

_So innocent_, _too innocent_, that look she gave back…and it made Mugen sick. Again, the man widened the abysmal gap between his caretaker and himself without giving any plausible reason. He could never say how her touch ignited something foreign within him. He just wanted to reach out to her but…

"No, just…it's annoying…"

Quickly, Fuu began to stand….and was interrupted.

The insistent hand that stopped her roaming fingers had moved higher. It held the feeble girl's wrist in a vice like grip; Mugen could easily break it if he wanted. Within the powerful hold he caught her with, Fuu wasn't the least bit frightened.

The last time he snatched her wrist like this was…

* * *

><p>…<em>when he lay still in a hut, on a bed of soft straw, the transient waves and the cries of gulls calling through the ocean's breeze outside.<em> _Death had been so near, drowning seeming inevitable…but an image of a scolding girl came to mind. _

_Fuu talks quietly to herself, knowing he won't answer as she nurses his forehead with a wet rag, despite how exhausted she is. Her feet ache from running the shoreline until the sun raised consciously slow, scanning the rough sand for any sign of him. She did…she found him. She shed far too many tears…but he's still alive and that's enough._

_Mugen remains quiet just as she expects, his breathing shallow. _

…_It wasn't till she stands to leave does Mugen move. She freezes in place at the sudden dart of calloused fingers gripping her wrist to a hesitant halt. Fuu finds herself turning to the rugged man both surprised and confused._

"_Hu…uh..huh…" she watches his mouth twitch a few times, forming some incoherent word. _

"_Eh?"_

_He doesn't open his eyes, or sit up to look at her own expectant gaze, even while she leans against him; the first time they'd been so close. She is almost hopeful he will say something…nice. Like "thank you" or…"stay"._

"_What?"_

"…_I'm...hungry…"_

* * *

><p>Half expecting him to say something similar, Fuu grudgingly turned.<p>

"I never said ya had to leave."

Those words caught her off guard. The next, even more so.

"So, keep talkin' to me. Until I fall asleep."

She pouted bitterly "I thought you hated the sound of my _whiny voice_." As his hand slipped away from her wrist, she found herself missing the comforting warmth it gave. Puzzled by such an odd request him of all people could make, the waitress returned to sitting. "I do. By you talking, it'll bore the shit outta me so bad that I'll eventually fall asleep. Get it?" he stated as if it was common sense. In response Fuu scrunched her face in a grotesque fashion, evidently displeased by the offending words, knowing they were to be inevitable.

Though, a slight smile maneuvered its way. She looked down while the smile was present and back at him again. "What would you like me to talk about then?"

"Don't care." grinned the wolf of a man.

So there the young woman sat with an injured vagabond beside her in the serenity of another starless night. She told him stories of a scentless sunflower man and a journey that three heroes went on to find him and they both knew the story maybe more than they'd like to say but that didn't stop Fuu from telling it or Mugen from listening. She told Mugen of her life before and after the events of that fateful journey, and of all the times she'd encountered something that reminded her of him and Jin. It was a long tale to tell; she was just about to have gotten up to the part of their reencounter when inescapable exhaustion crept its way into Fuu's sleepy mind.

For a while now, it seemed her story lulled the injured man to sleep. She finally exhaled in relief that he could manage_ at least _rest despite the afflicted cuts spanning his body. She smiled warmly.

When she was positive he was _absolutely_ asleep…a whisper escaped her.

"After our last journey, I was half expecting you to walk right into the restaurant in Edo I waitressed at. And when you didn't for that whole year...I was almost….scared. That, that maybe we weren't meant to meet again after all. Like all those "connected by fate" things were just wives' tales, and it's silly, I know. B-but it hurt. Seeing you injured gave me that same feeling." Fuu stopped, checking if he wasn't listening. Coast was clear. She continued on.

"And maybe it wasn't just that. You always seemed like someone who lived for tomorrow… I was afraid I became another shadow of your past, another…another blank face you could just forget like that journey we shared meant nothing to you and it wasn't supposed to for me. I didn't want that. I-I must look so crazy right now, rambling to some sleeping guy…good night." The girl laid her head next to his injured arm, not planning on leaving his side until the following morning. "Just…I don't understand. I really don't know why only a stupid jerk like you…can make me feel this sad." While the night's last tear fell as the waitress closed her eyes for sleep. Dreams began to captivate her, sinking deeply into them where she was safe and he was too…and she didn't have to worry over cuts and too much blood or the dangers her bodyguard refused to mention.

Mugen's eyes crept open slowly. He sighed.

When the caretaker drifted to the abyss of dreams, she failed to hear the lax chuckle from the man who heeded telling her of how badly he wished she'd stop the crying; _crying reserved only for him._

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p><span>[AN]: _HE WAS FUCKING AWAKE AND HEARD ALL THAT._

Fuu: *Talking in sleep* …..Mugennnnnnnnnnnnn.

Mugen: What the hell?

Fuu: *Still talking in sleep* I want you...

Mugen: WHAT THE HELL?!

Fuu: *Dead Asleep* …to give me back my fooooood.

Mugen: …

Fuu: *Continuing to murmur* Fooood….fooood. Dumplings…grilled… fish….udon….tay…aki….Hun…gryyyyyy….

Mugen: You little…WAKE YOUR FAT ASS UP!

_Flashback scene was Episode 14 Misguided Miscreants Part 2, one of the first big Fuugen episodes. There was a reference to the Samurai Champloo Soundtrack as well, "Thank You" and "Stay" are both background music in the OST._

_Read and Review people, make my plot bunnies live on! That's animal abuse if you kill them off! _

_**End of Chapter 16**_


	19. Chapter 17 Of Hassles and Horoscopes

_**Chapter 17 Of Hassles and Horoscopes**_

{Original Title: Horoscopes and Houses of Love, Familiar?}

[A/N] _Yokatta! This chappie has a Part 2._

**NOTICE IMPORTANT**: _By Japanese months…autumn ends November 6th. But in North America, autumn ends December 19th/20th. For my headcanon (because of a Samurai Champloo last episode DVD cover, hard to explain), Mugen would be born in the fall. So IF Mugen was a Sagittarius like I've made him, he'd completely miss being born in the fall in Japan. I realize this, but everything will be explained in the next chapter. (This is really confusing until you read.)_

**NOTICE PLEASE READ**: _I'd like you all_ _to go on GaneshaSpeaks. com after reading this chapter. It's a horoscope website. After reading the chapter, you'll understand why I'm so set on you guys reading it. Most, if not all the material about birthdates I used comes from that website. And, there's even more startling information._

_Personally, I think Samurai Champloo isn't complete without brothel mentions considering how they were a major role in Tokugawa culture._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc. How about they let me own it for a week? One day? No? Okay… I cry.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 17 Of Hassles and Horoscopes<strong>_

He hadn't thought about the question until a couple days went by and the offbeat, off topic curiosity actually _had_ a meaning. It was a simple enough question, really—something Mugen expected _normal_ people to discuss.

Just… no one ever asked the ex-criminal before so an answer was naturally never provided. When this less than abnormal question was asked, he remembers quite well how she spread herself out across the floor flat on her stomach, leaning on her elbows reading a book. Her feet were dangling above her legs. Each time Fuu wiggled them, the floppy zori would slip off her heels until she pushed them back on. He, at the time, sat against a wall chewing on a twig out of lethargic boredom, his forearm leaning atop his propped up knee. Nothing really important was going on; they didn't bother to say much.

Like the girl always does, he recollected her addressing his name before she asked. "Hey, Mugen…" She still examined the book all intensely like a scholar taking in years of history. Then…"When's your birthday?"

"Hah?" The man's mouth hung agape, stem dangling from where it stuck between two teeth.

"Your birthday. The day you were born. _Are you even listening?"_ No answer was given till sufficient seconds past. As a result, Fuu got annoyed as was not uncommon and huffed her familiar huff.

"Don't know it."

In surprise, she dropped the hardcover book flat upon the floor. "EH?! How do you _not_ know your own birthday?" Her stare was disbelieving, as if Mugen was screwing around or was uninterested in the topic altogether…which usually wouldn't be far from the truth…usually.

"I was an orphan since I was little so I never had a memory of it. Just know I was born in the fall and I've been alive goin' on twenty two years. Or I am twenty-two. Not sure till it's winter. "

"Hmm… Must be weird. No day to celebrate."

"Don't change nothin' really." He stretched his arms above his head. Always so relaxed…she wonders how he can be like that.

_'He doesn't even have a birthday for God's sakes! It's no wonder Mugen is the way he is. Not even a good childhood…'_

"Hmm…I wonder when Jin's birthday is. You two are so opposite…maybe in the spring then? I betcha _he_ actually knows. I should get him a present when I find out." she rambled on which Mugen made a mental note to pretend to not hear.

"…"

"What do you think Jin would want for his birthday?" Fuu asked sweetly, grinning with her new plan.

"How the hell should I know…"

Sensing there was no additional information or words she could squeeze out of him, Fuu resorted to going back to the captivating book, Mugen additionally back to idly munching the stem of the dried, wild shoot.

…Fuu had fallen asleep by the fading glimmer of the candle that night, Soft locks of hair laid untouched across the floor boards, the way she dozed off looking downright uncomfortable, all curled up in a ball in the middle of the room; probably too asleep to move either. _'Dumb broad's gonna catch a cold.'_ Mugen thought, _not_ worrying. He only draped his jacket over her because the place they stayed at didn't provide sufficient blankets and if she got sick they'd be stuck there _forever_.

As he covers her miniscule body with the red haori, he leaned closer than he meant…almost being drawn inexplicably. Black lashes tightened only to relax again repeatedly, brushing her skin sensuously every little while. He watched her tiny little mouth twitch a few times, as if a word was soundlessly whispered_._ He stopped himself from wondering what she dreams of. He also stopped himself from observing; realizing who it was on the floor, who he _shouldn't_watch.

When the tan male pulled away, he saw her hand resting upon an open page of that same book. Light enough to not awaken her, Mugen kicked it from beneath as it slid across the floor. And then…he picked it up.

Using what rudimentary reading skill he possessed, Mugen made out the words, "_Horoscopes: Daily Readings, Personalities and Compatibility__"_. It was essentially a dense volume, most pages held small print. It also appeared to talk about western beliefs and monthly star signs…similar to the yearly zodiac they had. He'd never heard of these symbols in his life!

The page marked with a thin sheet of paper said something about understanding character traits of the sign known as "Sagittarius"… On the bookmark paper was written in her immaculate calligraphy, _Mugen is so totally a Sagittarius__XP_

'_The hell's this thing?'_

He was sure she wouldn't notice or mind, nor did he care if she did, of him taking some more sneak peeks into the tome; so he did as he felt like, as expected. While she slept, he hunched over to take in every detail.

_Sagittarius: The Archer_

_Birthdates: November 22-December 21_

_Main Season: Japanese Winter/Western Fall_

_Meanings: Fire, Energy, Positivity,_

_Lucky Colors: Violet, Red, Pink_

_Lucky Day: Thursday_

_Lucky Numbers: 3, 12, 21, 30_

Interesting.

* * *

><p>As Mugen got up one morning for another day of work four days later, he noticed Fuu's nonexistence in the room first. Probably left to her new waitressing job, he presumed. After certain events in Fukui, the troublesome duo was forced to leave town as fast as possible where they took refuge at a small hostel in Hikone. Surprisingly, the rooms weren't too shabby. Cheap gets what cheap gets. And if this was cheap, they sure as hell were gonna take it!<p>

Before he left, that same volume Fuu'd been studying for a half a week laid unguarded. She wasn't around so…

Grabbing his European sword from its location touching the wall, the vagrant traveled to his temporary employment, book tucked into his jacket against his jacket.

The city was a spectacle full of trades but of all things, Mugen found a job at a back alley Red Light District brothel as a guard. Truth be told, Mugen disdained being a hired hand there. Mainly his job consisted of chasing off any window shoppers, protecting the women from violent clients, thoroughly beating up any men who didn't pay and making sure none of the prostitutes escaped. At first, he chose to work there because it was rumored workers got discounts for time with the women… Mugen was disappointed to find none of them were his type at all.

So far, there hadn't been many exciting fights either.

Besides the lack of action, even as the men seemed happy, the women always showed strong evidence of misery. Older seasoned courtesans that partook in the tempting acts of twilight…seemed as if they lost their will to live. Their cruelty, greed and lack of sympathy towards the younger girls unveiled what brothel life had transformed them into. Then there were the women getting used to the job. They were the ones in complete denial of what a shitty hand fate had dealt them. Trails of tears blurred their white painted faces, which they quickly wiped away in fear of being scolded and mocked by the men. Out of them all though, the young girls always managed to bother Mugen; these were the girls whom just arrived, still having that fighting spirit in them. Usually as a man picked them, they'd cry openly, sometimes they'd dare to contend. Their gazes through the bars of the brothel were beseeching. And when Mugen could do nothing, the vivacious spark in their eyes would only blacken over in unbridled hatred.

Maybe it was cruel, but Mugen couldn't care. It wasn't his place to, because it just wasn't his life.

Well of course, there were plenty of women who didn't care too. They were just prostitutes because it brings in loads of money. On this specific morning, according to the other bouncers…a new girl recently got shipped in. She was getting prepared right now for her first night; they claimed she was a sight for sore eyes.

"Hey hey, you're new working here right? Mugen's your name? Well man, you got to check out the new girl. From what I hear, she's feisty but has absolutely _zero _experience in bed." His coworker, a man a few mere years older named Aito elbowed him repeatedly while Mugen scanned pages of Fuu's horoscope book. The man was already balding at the top of his head, despite his lower age. The vagrant wasn't really interested because every girl _this guy_ liked ended up being completely undesirable in his mind, not to mention the doushebag was bothersome. Back to reading…

_Sagittarius Positive Qualities_

_These people if allowed to do what they love unrestrained, are never bored because of the hunger for adventure. If they have what little things they need in life, they are usually very optimistic in the darkest of situations. Nothing can really affect them. Probably the most honest of all people, they are bad liars and tend to spill out their thoughts even when they're not exactly wanted. Their ambition can make them enter any scenario, making them quite courageous in other's eyes. But perhaps bravery stems from being afraid, and Sagittarius usually never fear. Also, they tend to be very intellectual who have strong conversations. Sagittarius' generosity is very present; always hoping others will succeed or live good lives._

_Sagittarius Negative Qualities_

_Out of all the symbols, Sagittarius's are by far the most careless. They can be extremely thoughtless and tactless, jumping headfirst without a strategic course of action. While others fear a risky situation, they tend to dive in for the thrills. Along with other character traits such as overconfidence, this can lead to many mistakes. Their restlessness is caused by their unstoppable energy to keep moving. This is one of the reasons why they love to travel so much. Another problem they have is their overly blunt analysis on situations. Many people can easily be angered, embarrassed or hurt by their exceedingly straightforward statements…_

"This is all a buncha' bullshit." Mugen stated aloud to hopefully further his point. And yet, he continued onto the next line.

…_They tend to be a very stubborn lot and will not accept that these traits may be in fact the way they truly are._

"You little bitch! I ain't a Sagitta-whatchamacallit! It's a winter symbol in Japan anyway!" Again, he was yelling at the journal for Fuu giving him his zodiac title while Aito looked taken aback by Mugen's random outburst on a book.

"Dude, you listening? I'm telling you, that new girl must be _hot_."

He ignored the man again, continuing to scan the page. "Hehhh…" Mugen had no interest, probably wasn't even attractive! There were claims the young woman was a virgin…Virgins weren't really his cup of tea either.

As the brightly clothed lady along with a few regulars were led to the front booth, there were several hoots and hollers to greet the newcomer especially. It was now evening time, more people were filtering the streets in the hopes of picking a partner to lie with. What he could tell from the main entrance, a lot of customers had gathered to view the new "virgin blossom" that the owner of the brothel was intent on making some sweet cash off of.

"She's sure attracting a crowd. Whoever gets to have her first sure is lucky. Just turned seventeen at the end of summer and a virgin? Most girls 'round here are married by then!" Did this guy _ever_ shut up?

"Huh." Honestly, disinterest propelled him. That is until…

A loud slap sound came from the front cages. Apparently, one of the potential customers had reached a hand into the cage and stroked the female's leg where she kneeled. Mugen ran over to the women held on display, seeing an impressive gathering watching in shock at the retaliating new brothel choice.

From the rose tinted accents of the red lanterns' ambiguity, Mugen caught a fleeting glance at the women that had smacked a chubby middle aged businessman. She knelt stiffly, hand rose. Her silk brown hair was wrapped in a convoluted design with at least a dozen hairpins sticking from all odd angles. A comb stuck at the top to keep everything in place. Her face was its natural pale color with just a touch of pink, not having been coated white since she was a supposed virgin. Layers of satin robes adorned her, only further serving to compliment a slim figure underneath. Probably with different clothes, her curves wouldn't even be noticeable. Looking smooth to the touch, the creamy stretch of bare shoulders and skin just below her collarbone were defenseless to glances of all kinds… lust from men, jealousy from women—maybe even a bit of awe from Mugen. But her eyes, damn those eyes… Her eyes were a bright and vibrant brown, capable of trapping and pinning a man to the spot. They were intrepid, flickering animosity across the crowds of men. They did not show fear like the others.

Even in Mugen's picky brain, she easily was the most attractive girl there. _'Guess that guy was right, she's actually better lookin' than I expected.' _Plus, he loved feisty women who could hold their own. Her makeup wasn't too overdone but he bet she'd look even better with less. Natural was an unexpected liking of his.

He had only stolen a small glance though, hard to see over everyone's heads. Her figure was vastly masked by the robes too, kind of disappointing. But still, she was a virgin and she probably hated doing this…maybe even forced into it. So he wouldn't try anything despite his growing physical attraction to her... Mugen shouldn't give two shits; for he _never_gave courtesans in the past an ounce of recognition.

Before the vagrant made his way back to the frontal post with Aito, he couldn't resist that compulsion to just turn back, look… Her eyes caught him most of all once again. But…

_Those eyes..._

That's when he realized it.

'_Wait a fuckin' second…she… she looks identical to her!'_Scratching the back of his wild hair, it was becoming more difficult to _not _compare this woman's appearance even from a great distance away to someone…else. '_… The chick's workin' some new waitress job elsewhere. Not every seventeen year old chick is her, dammit!'_

That however, didn't stop possibility.

"Oi, what's the new girl's name? Not her fake one, her real name." The part time worker asked the same man who persistently nudged him earlier.

"Why, you suddenly interested?"

"Far from it." Mugen frowned.

"Well I don't know her real name. They gave her a decision for a new name and she chose Hi-"

…Another loud slap derived from the women's enclosures along with the _same_ middle aged male screaming into the_same_ prostitute's face. "You're just a whore; I can do what I'd like with you!" A palm mark was obvious on his flabby cheek.

"I said, don't touch me!" she screamed.

Mugen froze. Sure enough the _only_girlish voice that caused his back to cringe in such a way came from behind the bars. Any second now, the bodyguard really was going to implode without a moment's notice. _'How. The. Hell.'_ Fuu the "virgin blossom" had yet to distinguish his attendance among the crowds outside.

'_I just saw her last night. HOW DID THE STUPID BITCH GET STUCK IN A BROTHEL?'_

"Daaaaaang she's hot-headed. Oh yeah, Himawari. She chose the name Himawari." Mugen's coworker continued after being interjected. Of course Fuu would pick that name… Himawari means sunflower. But the ryukyuan was no longer listening. _'I can't believe I thought SHE was the most attractive! What was I thinking?!'_

As Fuu was sent back towards the rooms by an enraged courtesan, another foul buyer made way to the front in order to pay for about a half an hour's worth of "service" from a woman. What a cheapskate, too old to last long… His attention seemed to still be fixed on Fuu, as he pointed in the same direction of the girl who left. The man was taller and broader than the last. If he so desired, surely he could overpower a woman of Fuu's stature.

No wonder he only paid for thirty minutes; virgins in brothels were traditionally highly priced.

"Shit…"

* * *

><p>"You caused quite a scene out there, attacking our patrons! Don't think that will be easily forgiven." It was an older woman—wrinkles crinkling on her forehead, and over applied lipstick making her face look like something out of bad painting—definitely a higher leveled courtesan, spouting off her censure with the new girl's attitude problem.<p>

"What are you going to do, hit me?! You think that'll change how I feel?" the innocent girl shouted at the taller female.

Her prune-like lips curled back, revealing ugly teeth by mistake smudged in more red makeup. The older woman did; the open palm slapping Fuu hard across the cheek where she soon collapsed from the unexpected force to her face. The seventeen year old gritted back the tears, defiantly glaring back up at her. Other prostitutes watched, covering their shocked expressions with the prim sleeves of their kimonos. "This is a way of life. We all have our reasons for being here, _you included_. It's _a job_. Don't pretend you're better than us." the woman—whose real name would forever be lost to Fuu—and…probably herself—spoke coldly… She turned away.

"…When was the last time you walked outside?" Fuu suddenly asked. That stopped the tayo's overly dainty, pigeon toed steps. Only her head twisted to the side, but she did not face Fuu again, who still sat huddled. "How long has it been since you've felt the sun, the rain, or the snow? Even the wind?"

"Does it really matter?"

"You can never raise a family of your own either!"

"_Really_; well one of our women is pregna-"

Fuu couldn't handle it anymore, the hot coal burning in her stomach, making her want to scream and bash into the wooden bars of the brothel until they collapsed beneath her will. She just wanted to shake this woman, toss her around until she finally opened those _revolting_, beady eyes! "AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE FATHER IS! By the time she has that baby, they'll take it away from her anyway! It's SICK!"

"You're here now. Deal with that, Himawari-chan. That's how it goes." The woman then departed leaving the angered girl alone with her frustration, being able to do nothing besides thump her right hand against the floor.

That was it? _That's how it goes? She wasn't and never would be that much of a quitter._

"Are you nervous, Himawari-chan?" It took several seconds for Fuu to realize she was the one being addressed to answer the question by another woman with a much nicer voice. Her eyebrows rose quizzically. "Your first customer will also be your first time, won't it?"

"…Isn't there a ceremony or something where the highest bidder gets me?" Fuu asked, confused…but more than anything, terrified of the sole event.

"Heavens no! You're not a maiko with her mizuage ceremony. You're only a cheap prostitute now and you have a set price on your virginity. Higher than us, naturally. Whoever picks you first gets you and there will only be a bid if two patrons argue over you. But do not worry. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. Like the prick of a needle." This woman was beautiful truly, with her shiny hair and perfect features. She sort of reminded Fuu of her own mother before she'd gotten very sick…_before she'd also given up on life_. But there was something very the same about her mother's sickly state too…; her eyes lost their natural glow and turned into a whirling mess of dirty hazel. It made Fuu disgusted all over again—defiant.

The supposed _Himawari_ craned her head away so she didn't have to keep staring at this woman so lost on hope. "…So you accept this… Are you all _that_ easy? Did any of you even fight back?!"

"Why would we? We could never overpower these men. Besides, it's not so bad here." True; as the girl had observed more and more around, the settings were by no means dirty or vile… In fact, the warmth within contrasted the outside where winter loomed just beyond the bend and the walls were all painted with an attractive red, and gold designs…and the bedchambers were much more comfortable with their silk material than the futons back at the hostel…

She soon shook off these sudden feelings of acceptance. Because, this was something very simple: a cage. And Fuu wanted out.

She would not become like these people. _Never._

Fuu seized the woman's hands in her own, a pleading cry infiltrating these next words, "It doesn't matter if we sleep on silk cushions or there are roaches crawling around. IT'S NOT FREEDOM!"

"This is our new life, our new home. We have each other, a family. We never had that before. Most of us who come here are orphans. Others were destined to be locked in some cell, to rot away in prison. Instead, we get the privileges of good food, and comfortable beds to sleep in."

"My husband is the one who sold me…and then married the woman he was cheating on me with." Another lady tucked far in a corner said.

Then, another re-emerged from somewhere in the many rooms—where deals were sealed—her hair disordered with strands hanging this way and that…and scarlet, distasteful circular marks dotting over the fair complexion of her neck... "It was my father who sold me. Turns out money is more important than another mouth to feed."

"See?" the first courtesan began again "All of us are unloved. But we have each other, and the men who come in too… You don't have a family either, do you Himawari-chan. No parents?"

She didn't want to talk about it. If Fuu answered sincerely, it felt as if she were proving the very point these whores were trying to make. Regrettably, Fuu didn't have it in her to lie about that specific topic, "…They're dead."

"Then it's better for you here! You're among friends now, unlike before."

She still has unfinished business…_to find Jin_!

And then _he_ flashed into mind. _Mugen_ was out there somewhere. He already went back for her, protected her with no such promise attached. He wouldn't forget about her.

_That_…was where the girl with the usual sunflowery disposition snapped, standing back up in front of all these disillusioned women with her own form of gospel to preach. "You're wrong… You're ALL WRONG! This isn't a life for you. They are_ using_ you and all of you believe there's no reason to go on. But there's something better out there! Sure; life has its struggles and nothing is handed to us like it is here…but, but I'm willing to work hard if my freedom still exists. And I have someone looking for me! I have a friend who will be here and get me out of this mess!"

"I have had ENOUGH of your insolence!" Once again the abusive "leader" of the courtesans appeared, fiercely gripping Fuu's arm and pulling her away from the others. Right before she could smack the troublemaking girl a second time, yet another woman appeared from the front gates, "Don't hit her! Himawari-chan has her first customer. A bruised face won't do her any good getting business."

"No, no no NO! Tell him to pick someone else. _Please_!" she begged, veiling the threat of a meltdown.

Smugly, the woman replied with simply "That is how it goes, Himawari-chan."

'_No it isn't. This isn't what I want!'_

"One of these days you'll be broken by them. And that snooty attitude of yours will disappear. Just live with it."

As the bright lights of the vermillion lanterns roused her senses with nausea and the scents of much too strong perfume along with…the troubling smell of lust mixed, whirling and whirling…Fuu felt that her eyes were blurred. "…He'll find me. I know he will."

"_He_? A man? Hoho… Go ahead. Believe what you will. But don't forget; they'll _break you_ whether it is today or tomorrow or the day following that. They'll break you and you'll see. There is no Prince Charming. No one is coming to "rescue" you. Accept that, Himawari-chan." Steadfast as ever, Fuu didn't allow herself to whimper or cry by these words as another woman guided her to what would be her room for this evening's pleasures. She just turned, walked away…except, not before uttering her final phrase.

"My name isn't Himawari. It's Kasumi Fuu. And it'll_ always_ be Fuu."

* * *

><p>Fuu's buyer rounded a corner where Mugen stealthily leaned against. Who knew which room Fuu was in, he'd just have to see which the old man picked. As he stopped in front of small door, the ex-criminal made his move. A mere second passed when the ominous ryukyuan appeared directly behind the businessman, where one sweep of the hand landed at the rear of the lecher's head. Easy as that, he was out cold for at least an hour.<p>

In his place, Mugen entered the chamber holding little luminance. _'She in here?'_Several, though not many scented candles dotted the area for a romantic element within the pleasure quarters. Besides that, the lantern's fire was vague. A set of burgundy bedding was neatly placed for a passionate presentation. The windows were really small—too small to escape through—where no signs revealed any girl amidst the shade though.

Out of nowhere, Mugen heard a slight squeak and then felt a furry body attach to his face: _Momo_. "Geff freh fruf MMPH ME!" he barely could holler, tugging at the animal's stretchy fur.

A shadow appeared behind him…

_CRASH!_

There was then a loud rattle splitting to the ears—and not to mention his head! For a second, he glimpsed animated stars flittering about the darkness. From behind, a hefty crafted vase meant for décor had smashed directly into the back of Mugen's cranium. Momo glided himself to the safety of a nearby wall.

"Good work Momo-san! HAH! Feel the wrath of the pot! That's what you get, you sick son of a…wait…_YOU_?!" Fuu's triumphant victory dance was short lived… After all, the man she'd shattered porcelain upon turned out to be a very angry ex-pirate.

That jar must've left an agonizing impression since her savior was still crumpled on the floor rubbing his freshly shaped goose egg. "What the hell! You tryin' to kill the guy who's savin' your ass?!" he hollered mostly out of sheer pain. "I could seriously rip you to _shreds_ right now…"

"I'm so sorry! Hold on a sec...Why are _YOU_ here?!"

He shouted right on back! "I should be askin' you the same damn thing!"

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p><span>Fuu<span>: I don't understand why guys like Mugen and Jin go to brothels…Why would they when_ I'm _around?

Mugen: Firstly…I hope ya know what you're offering.

Fuu: Uh…

Mugen: Second, men have needs girlie.

Fuu: Gah…

Mugen: Third, most don't enjoy screwin' the figure of a wooden plank.

Fuu: FEEL THE WRATH OF THE POT!

[A/N]: _People ask me why there are so many brothel mentions in the show and they seem out of place. In truth, they were a huge part of the culture, sometimes even that hidden aspect. Some think the anime may have been glorifying prostitution, but I believe it's the exact opposite. Many cruel events occurred back then, which Samurai Champloo exposed; the two alluded to being Fuu and Shino both thrown in brothels. Their heroes, Mugen and Jin both went to save them. (Mugen never got credit 'cause Fuu already escaped DAMMIT.)_

**Aito-** (the guy who works with Mugen as a guard for the brothel) His name means "child of love". Funny, 'cause he works at a whorehouse… Ironic.

**Tayo-** higher level courtesan

**Mizuage- **coming of age ceremony for maiko (geisha in training) in which a more experienced geisha symbolically cuts the knot from her hair and deems her a woman. The maiko is then sold to the highest bidder who she will lose her virginity to. Mizuage means "red water". Geisha and courtesans were two completely different things. Geisha were "women of the arts" who entertained men with more than sex; while courtesans were strictly known to be prostitutes.

"Geff freh fruf MMPH ME!"- "Get the fuck OFF ME!" in Mugen lol

_GO TO GaneshaSpeaks. com. Look up Sagittarius for Mugen and Virgo for Fuu (she'd be born in the summer because of sunflowers and she's totally a virgin…though in Japan, Virgo is autumn blahblahblah). You will not be disappointed._

_Drop a review onegai! Favorites and Follows also loved! *Huggles*_

_**End of Chapter 17**_


	20. Chapter 18 Stellar Superficialty

_**Chapter 18 Stellar Superficiality**_

{Original Title: She's Trouble in More Ways than One…for Mugen Anyway}

[A/N]: _Etou….. Everything will now begin to clear up…hopefully. I'm beginning to think I should change the rating to M; though, nothing is ever heavily implied._

_Back when I originally posted this, me and my broham ImparedImpala were casually scrolling through the Fuugen tag. When suddenly, there was a link to a Fanfiction this person recommended for other Fuugen fans to read. Out of curiosity, ImparedImpala clicked on it….and I just djbagfydbgfau. I was so surprised to see it was mine! Just wanna give some huggles to _**bio-mechanic**_. And thank you to all the people who reblogged/liked it as well. I'M SO HAPPYFACE! I appreciate you spreading the word ^^_

_I was inspired to make a Tumblr of my own… It's Samurai Champloo and Fuugen centered, but I post about Devil May Cry and The Walking Dead or whatever video game I'm currently playing…or just random stuff. I'd love to follow you guys or maybe get followers. My Tumblr account is _**ryukyuan-sunflower**_. I already posted stuff on the fuugen tag; maybe I'll write more proof of their relationship that only weird fan girls like me notice. _

_I rewatched Episodes 3 and 4 "Hellhounds for Hire" (episodes where Fuu's in the brothel), and Fuu was wearing a violet kimono at the brothel and a different violet kimono at the gambling house. I love how Sagittarius' lucky colors were red, pink AND violet on the website GaneshaSpeaks. com._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. My writing would so badly botch up the story….Samurai Champloo would be ruined if I owned it. So let's keep this as a Fanfiction, shall we?

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 18 Stellar Superficiality<strong>_

_Earlier this same day unraveled into a scenario Fuu can't even understand how had come to be…_

* * *

><p><em>She'd only been mindlessly, innocently window shopping. When entering the "Odds and Ends" curio shop, a wide range of materials catches her attention. Fuu didn't own property so buying anything big is definitely out of the question. The middle aged shopkeeper mottled with several moles flecked against his pudgy chin and cheeks greets her—inspecting the girl's every move as the products for sale are examined.<em>

_Stumbling upon it is a pure accident…or fate if you believed in that sort of thing. The item is smooth to the touch, some type of jade bead tied to make a necklace. It seems to be a more rounded version of half of the Chinese yin-yang symbol; similar in shape as Fuu recalls. The hole punctured within its center bears a leather strap for which to hang around the neck. A while ago on their journey, a Shinto priestess sold similar ones at the shrine they'd stopped at. _

_But Fuu is unaware of what trouble a simple talisman could bring her. _

_'What a pretty charm…This might be completely perfect for him.' closely reminding Fuu of Mugen's ryukyuan earrings, the colors reasonably related in tint._

"_You like that omamori charm? That has a magatama bead. They bring protection to your loved ones. Is there someone you have in mind?" Surely the curio shop manager is trying to sell his product… But the way in which he watches her with such intense captivation begins to creep her out…_

_She couldn't help avoiding the "loved one" bit. "Ummm…Sort of. It's a present for his birthday. Well I don't really know his birthday so it'll be a bit late."_

"_That'll be one hundred ryo then, young miss."_

_"O-one…one hundred?"_

_"That's an antique from the Sengoku era, a pendant General Naito Masatoyo wore. The legend goes, he was taken down by arrows and beheaded only after he'd forgotten to wear it at the Battle of Mikatagahara." he says in a strictly businesslike fashion._

"_100RYO?! Ahah…never mind, have a nice day sir." _

_'Mugen was almost beheaded…and almost shot by arrows. Maybe he's even more lucky than that General…But, it would've been so perfect for him…' Afore he gives the chance for her to take off, she feels her arm being detained._

"_Wait! You could always work for it if you're looking for employment…Come on in the back." _

_Next thing the innocent seventeen year old knows, he's dragging her relentlessly into the other room… "Umm…I'm gonna leave, there's some things I have to take care of-" Something about the mole faced man appears weird; he looks and sounds like he possessed ulterior motives… _

_In minutes the guy pushes her against the wall! His two palms begin aggressively groping her legs, maneuvering her pink attire out of the way of his grubby touch. "Hey let me go, what are you- HELP!" Fuu screams as loud as she could while the man hikes her kimono as far up as her knees. "LET GO!" With all her strength, Fuu manages to pry him off._

_Luckily, two members of the law enforcement show up immediately from the shouting. "What's going on?!"_

"_This- this tramp tried to offer me sex! When I refused her, she tried stealing one of my products! Look! It's still in her kimono!" shrieking, the sleaze trembles in front of the officers._

'_WHAT?!' He's so bluffing and Fuu knows it! She didn't even have…no way. That bastard really did slip the magatama into her kimono sleeve! Fuu tries her best at explaining the more accurate version of the story…but evidence shown otherwise. _

_This would be a losing battle all in all._

"_Ma'am, we're placing you in our custody. Are you a prostitute? Jail doesn't seem fitting for one of your kind…" the chonmage having samurai writes something upon bamboo paper._

_Oh, she wished she was as physically capable as Mugen… Because she so would have enjoyed killing this old pervert for starting to suggest she'd offer him sex! But prostitution does spring an idea. "…I…I um…I'm supposed to begin work at the nearby Red Light District today." She gives the impression of a meek, demure girl (which she most definitely is not!) and lies straight through her teeth without their slightest knowledge._

_Her plan? If Fuu went to a brothel instead of jail…she'd have a better chance of escaping. Also, it behooves her to admit this; in fact distaste is thick in her brain when she does…but her "bodyguard" or whatever he is now would have an easier time finding her. This is considering how he visited brothels regularly from her knowledge. He had been leaving in the mornings lately…always headed in the direction of the pleasure houses… It pissed her off._

_That old shopkeeper grins evilly at her as she is led out. At the last second, when the two guards pull her away, she manages to bump into him. 'Andddd, jackpot!' She learned this old trick from a deceased friend she met along their previous travels. The boy, Shinsuke pickpocketed many before his death. Not to mention, she noticed Mugen con unknowing people as well. _

_The magatama necklace is safely in her grasp._

* * *

><p>Replayed were the events in her head…wondering how only a mere few hours ago she was strangely flung into a life of captivity…again. "How many times can a girl get held hostage, kidnapped or thrown in a brothel? <em>Seriously<em>?!" Her own daily horoscope had stated, _"Don't be surprised if you make a man's day_." But through prostitution? _'You have got to be kidding me!'_

"Well, _sucks to be you_, huh. What exactly happened anyway? Bad day?" Mugen turned to her, quirking his scarred eyebrow whilst dragging Fuu's unconscious customer into the bedroom. Stuffing the creep in a closet hunched over, he brushed his hands together at the handiwork.

"You answer first._ Spending_ our well earned money, I presume." That being stated, the girl frowned while organizing the glass shards across the floor into a modest pile. It had become apparent to both her and Jin along their travels that Mugen carried an insatiable desire for women; brothels were in that respect, a convenience.

His answer was all sorts of strange. "I'm workin' here temporarily."

"…You're saying you're a _kagema_?" Fuu burst into sudden laughter.

"Not like that, dumbass! I don't _play _on that team. I'm here as a sorta bouncer. Kick people out who don't pay up. Shit like that… So how'd you get here?"

As Fuu prepared to answer, hobbling feet rounded the corner, leading down the hall to the same room they occupied. "Shhh! Someone's coming!"

"I'm pretty sure that's a_ normal_ thing. Considering how this is a whorehouse." He chuckled at his own sexual joke…though the female counterpart proved much less amused.

"S-stop thinking dirty!" Fuu blushed; frantically moving about the room's interior, The footsteps outside increased in volume.

"Dammit, get under me."

Her pacing ended, jaw agape at the suggestion. "WHAT?!"

"Just do it!"

On cue, Fuu lay silent across the futon, Mugen climbing atop her while throwing some blankets over them to appear as if they wore a lack of clothing. At the last second, Fuu reached over to burn out the kerosene lamp so they were engulfed in at least _some _darkness.

"Sir, you only have ten minutes left. If you need an extension, _we need_ a down payment." Did twenty minutes really pass by that fast? Dang, she hadn't even explained her story yet! Part of the door slid open, invading the privacy of intimate affairs though he doubted the man was specifically watching them…but any short glance needed to be believable. Mugen dug within the pockets of his short cut hakama, pulling out the last of his savings and tossed it to the sliding door.

"_Yesh_, _yesh_. Cash's by the door,_ sonny_." He said, taking on a weird old man's voice, (as it was all he could think of), Fuu snickering under her breath.

This had always been such a pain in the ass…

"Thank you sir. Is our newest mistress to your liking?"…They'd need to make it seem real that they were currently in the middle of something intimate if this guy were to _ever_ leave. Fuu would have to make a...suggestive noise, which he doubted she'd ever condone to.

With a lopsided grin, Mugen grabbed for her chest which was sure to _at least_ get a meager squeak out of her. His palm squeezed around her breast….and he swore it was the _loudest _she'd ever made such a noise! "EYAH! Wha-" Mugen covered her mouth with his hand before she could say more.

"My apologies sir!" The owner scampered away after securing the door panel closed, failing to recognize that his own worker in the room with the new girl.

When footsteps were no longer audible in the hallway….

SMACK.

The characteristically threatening man's face had been twisted to the side; red dispersed the place where he'd been slapped across the cheek. Hard. Damn, got him good once again. His murky irises closed, exhaling gradually as seconds passed. Admitted, he _did_fully deserve it this time. Nonetheless, Fuu was lucky she was _who she was_ or he may have retaliated _not so nicely_.

"Perverted PIG! Lecher-mmph!" Her ineffectual attempts at ranting ended when Mugen tersely covered her mouth with a hand for a second time. When she stopped struggling—still glaring rebelliously up at him—only then did his grip loosen.

He put a finger to his own lips, "You _want to_ get us caught?! And what the fuck is with you and hittin' me?! I grabbed your boobs so you'd make a noise that sounded like we were havin' sex. And I know you wouldn't moan unless I made ya."

"I-you-That wasn't a moan! It was astonishment from you grabbing my chest, PERV!"

The minuscule fist that could so easily be broken reached upwards to land another good bonk on her "molester's" head. Being effortlessly entrapped within his much larger hand, all Fuu was capable of doing was release a short gasp.

"…Don't touch the fire, unless you wanna get burned girlie." He wondered if the pinkness across her cheeks was the shading of blush makeup—or a natural reaction to his elusive touch. "Cause if you hit me again…I just might bite back this time." he threatened austerely.

Did Mugen's voice…just sound attractive? His tone was all breathy, and arrogant, like trying really hard to unnerve her, _unravel her_ into a truly submissive woman... And yet…it was kind of…attractive. This idea made the girl beneath him squirm uncomfortably. Some of the male's weight pressed down upon her, but he seemed to lean on his knees so as to not completely crush her. His grip was strong…she couldn't escape. "You know, I once said I liked hot blooded women…" Mugen's voice trailed off, not even knowing where he was planning on going with the sentence; Fuu's mouth opened to question that same statement.

_'What the hell am I even sayin'.'_They weren't supposed to be like this! He wasn't supposed to begin second guessing her.

Through the iridescent embers of the candle beside the bed, the unlucky girl gave off a residual impression of distress; this same look…was what he imagined when other men tried to force themselves upon her. It disgusted him that he of all people could give her the exact same reaction.

In a way, the makeup the brothel provided for the girls wasn't to his liking. The lip gloss was much too red, made her mouth look too common, resembling much of other women; whores. W_omen who she wasn't._ To him... she looked better as dusty kimono, messy ponytail, no nonsense Fuu… Like this, it was too unnatural.

What a familiar setting to be stuck in, a brothel, a woman underneath him. There were loads of times he laid with women like this. Just…never with someone he refused on having sex with, or, never with a virgin.

Was she _really_ a virgin? Men were constantly kidnapping her. Not to mention…

It was strange—even for him—to want to ask for this personal information. But there'd been something troubling in the back of his mind ever since the events on Ikitsuki Island…when their journey came to a predestined close. Mugen never asked solely because he "didn't know" and "didn't care".

No…that was a lie. Otherwise, he would've never wondered, never regretted—_never feared_.

"You really a virgin like they keep sayin' around here?"

"Why do you _care_?!" Fuu yelled back defensively, believing the solitary intention to ask something like that would only be to mock her inexperience with men.

Silver irises went steady. They said considerably more than the mouth used to speak. "So that bastard with the eye patch…that Umanousuke guy who wanted to kill me…he never _did _anything to you…right?"

Fuu's eyes widened.

* * *

><p><em>"Don't be in such a rush, little girl… I know what it's like. Life can be such a bitch, can't it? You travel such a long way, and it all blows up in your face right before you reach your destination." <em>

_The man with an eye patch who hides his mocking expression behind the head of a wilted sunflower._

_"That's right. I want him to get a good taste of that feeling. I want him to understand how we feel."_

_The one who speaks of Mugen…of making him feel the pain of losing someone he cares dearly for._

_"W-what are you talking about?"_

_A man out exclusively for revenge, a man that would do anything to kill the ex-pirate, to let him suffer…triumphantly watching as he bleeds out._

_"I'm saying that…this place will be your grave."_

_Umanousuke—the man with the chain scythe that chases her through a lonely, desolate sunflower field, the man who catches her and runs a perverse hand along the skin of her leg and hip, the man who knocks her unconcious, binding her to a cross, the man that beats her repeatedly with the hilt of his weapon, that evil, cackling man, with an eye full of hatred—the man who she won't allow to break her in this emotional game, not while Mugen is out there…alive…and doesn't even know she frantically needs him now more than ever. Yet, she doesn't want him to appear…because Mugen will…_

_He's the same one she believes would kill Mugen before the end._

* * *

><p>She remembered Umanousuke.<p>

But she is _relieved_ to say that although he had horridly beaten and threatened her, Umanousuke had _not_ taken her precious virtue away.

This still comes to a surprise that Mugen would dare inquire. After all, she had only briefly mentioned when the man stroked her leg before knocking her unconscious. She hadn't even told Mugen about that; Fuu confided solely in Jin about the events because he was the one to ask what transpired while Mugen lay asleep. _Supposedly asleep, anyway._

"No. No, he didn't. I thought he was going to, honestly. I was so _afraid_…and…and…Jin wasn't there. But…I think it scared me more that…_you_ weren't there. He touched my leg once and I felt helpless and disgusted, like he would try to you know…rape me. But he was only trying to frighten me before he punched me in the stomach."

"You were…knocked unconscious?"

For a moment, Fuu thought Mugen was scared.

She continued to hold that silvery stare in her own. "_Believe me_, he didn't do anything besides hit me. I would've _known_. Luckily, nothing like that happened. And yeah, I am. A virgin, I mean. …D-don't, don't laugh."

The watchful stare softened after what she'd stated was true, though refusing to move. "I would've killed him a lot slower if he did." Mugen frowned restlessly, steeling his contemplation further into pools of chocolate. Whenever the ex-convict fought, the brunette always supposed it was for some self-seeking reason like personal fulfillment. Here he was…saying he would kill—_for her_?

"I never knew you could be so…caring."

"Yeah, well that makeup makes ya look ugly." Mugen blurted.

Those well-known pouty lips turned glossy where she insentiently licked them, shade returning to a more natural pink. Fuu had tasted the cherry lipstick on her tongue; _fake_. Something changed as the fear dissolved. There was a sparkle in her eyes as they darted across the vagrant, all mischievous and girlish—perhaps even flirty. Only could Mugen see it when the candle flickered a precise way. And at the same time, there was a coyness dancing about her dilating pupils. "Are you saying I normally look beautiful….Mugen?" she asked as her mascara covered eyelashes fluttered close to the way a raven's feathered wings did. How, the ryukyuan wonders, could this girl—so rude, obnoxious, loud, and bitchy—look so feminine below him; so much like the woman he constantly denied her the designation of being?

The irony of their current state added to this truth, and that fact bothered Mugen more than he could admit.

This girl really was to him, or at least must've been…some weird kind of beautiful.

…_Was that what he was saying?_ The idea that he thought Fuu was nice-looking made it seem like she had some kind of unseen control over him. Surely, that was not the case and he needed to make that point clear. At the same time, he never _really_ called her ugly…or considered her ugly either. "I shoulda' said; the makeup matches your ugly personality. All that whining and shit."

Fuu slipped her hand away from his hold, averting a stare to an unfilled space of the wall. Why did she look so_traumatized_? Couldn't she expect him to say something like that by now? Mugen stood up first, not bothering to give her a hand.

"…Hey wait, you're getting me out of here!"

"A'IGHT! Shut up! Just gimme a minute to figure out a course of action." Too bad the windows were so small. And Fuu couldn't as well walk out without being noticed. "Damn, even if we got ya out, they'll be looking all over the place for ya… Maybe I could…hmm…"

"What is it?"

"They probably have info on ya. If I can get rid a' that, you could maybe get out of here scott-free. I'm gonna get those documents and destroy them. Don't move from this spot, and if you hear anyone is the halls, make a noise or somethin'."

"A noise?"

Maybe this conversation would lead to a very dark place…and still, he attempted to make it as "normal" a thing as any to converse about. "You know…"

She stared back completely dumbfounded. "No, I don't."

"Ugh. _Moan_, you dumb bimbo! Like before, so they'll think you're in the middle of something."

"You're telling me I have to simulate _t-that_ again?!" seeing the seriousness ebbing from Mugen's expression, Fuu released a sigh and agreed reluctantly. "Alright. Fine…I'll have to get my stuff too; running around in a kimono like this is bound to draw attention either way. Let's see…my stuff's over here." Fuu spoke while running to retrieve her folded clothes, all pink and cute with Momo again sleeping somewhere inside.

The lavender robes were off her shoulders first, making a smooth rubbing noise as it loosely slipped from pastel skin. His eyes bugged at what action was being committed in front of a man like him. Too bad...Fuu clutched the purple brothel provided kimono before it revealed the hills of her breasts. Furling her eyebrows at Mugen, _'Is he…watching?!'_

Hell, he was beginning to enjoy the free show… And it was a curiosity over how big _they _really were. "What." Dumbly, he acted as if he didn't know why she stopped.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting rid of those documents?! I never said you could look!"

"Like_ I would look_." he feigned ignorance.

"You just were! _And_ you grabbed my chest, I'm pretty sure you'd do anything now." She was certain a guy like _him_ wasn't to be trusted and he chuckled at her insisted modesty. He did _kinda_ see Fuu naked that one time at the hot spring...

"Well, ya filled up my hand pretty nicely. Not as flat as I always thought." Mugen raised his palm, before smirking...making a groping motion repeatedly. An imprecise directed sandal was thrown his way that missed its intended target. It clattered past him, hitting the wall. "Hey, that was a compliment ya bitch!" was yelled over his shoulder as he left the room, striding down the halls…punctuated with the sounds of feminine gasps and all manners of unholy pleasures on each side…

What the hell had made him go so soft that he'd save a girl this many times…? Reasons unknown, Mugen allowed himself to wander to a time when they'd only begun to be acquainted.

* * *

><p><em>With a large leaf sheltering him from the pelting rain, Mugen treks the muddy path without a single thought in returning to that fucked up city. No way is he going to turn back. All that shit about controlling people and ruling commoners. All a bunch of bullshit. He didn't need to run a bunch of lowlifes to be strong, all he needs is himself. And being commanded by some pansy was out of the question! He believed only in his own capabilities.<em>

_And that Fuu girl with her sunflower scent bullcrap? Screw that! He isn't going to go out of his way to save some flat chested broad he doesn't even know. She's whiny and complains always, and he'd already saved her twice with no reward! That was that. He's gonna move on with his life. No one held him down like that and he isn't attached to anybody._

"_What the heck are you two doing?! What about your promise not to kill each other?!" She somehow invades his head, makes him remember a promise he doesn't even recall forging. In the midst of fighting Jin, she'd somehow been caged in the brothel against her will. If he had been there like a bodyguard was supposed to…maybe she would've been safe…_

_Why the hell should he even feel bad, it wasn't in him! But he does, and his geta bearing feet betray his resolve as they slosh against another cavernous puddle. The unreliable bodyguard's bared teeth hurt as he grits them tighter. He looks back._

"_That little bitch!"_

* * *

><p>That was the first time she'd been stuck in a brothel, about two years ago.<p>

Seriously, this was the _last_ time he'd get her out of trouble.

Shortly making it to the brothel's third floor, by skipping several stairs on the way up, the owner's room was found.

"Oh, Mugen-san? Is that you?" The greasy bastard held an ink quill between his pudgy fingers, most likely jotting down information into the book about the newest workers of the brothel. As Mugen didn't response, he quickly appeared behind, putting the man in a choke hold as he sputtered about. The man struggled even knocked Mugen onto the floor, but the out of shape bastard was overpowered by the swordsman. With a hit in the head, just like the last, he fell unconscious.

Mugen then took the saiken book laid out on the desk, torn it apart as much as he could and placed a candle up to the tattered papers. The papyrus charred and crinkled, spilling ash across the floor; luckily he doused out the flame before a fire would spread. Surely this was the only copy containing information on Fuu, considering how she was so new. Nothing was yet written about "Himawari"s skills or assets so he hadn't bothered to purge the brothel of the yujo hyobanki; it was a business after all, and he had no desire to save the other women besides Fuu…

On the way back, he blinked once more… Now how the hell were they gonna slip out unnoticed? If the ex-pirate had it his way, he'd crash right through the front gates, Fuu slung over his shoulder whether she liked it or not. He'd kill any who impeded their path, they'd run free and that'd be that.

But Fuu wouldn't like that very much. Maybe there would be people chasing after them too… Being sneaky wasn't his strong point so escaping unnoticed proved to be difficult. _'Bustin' shit up is always more fun...'_ It was there, he noticed a straw sack used for transporting laundry crumpled in the corner of the hallway.

'_Well, the slinging over the shoulder whether she likes it or not bit may not be that farfetched.'_ Mugen smirked evilly.

He returned, dragging along a straw bag large enough to carry a person. As he passed right by the room, his footstep boisterous…he was about to call to her until he heard the sound on the other side of the thin door…

It was soft, a light voice barely a whisper… Mugen felt a fire building in his insides, burning at his gut as he came very close to imagining things that _should not_ be imagined.

Fuu's improvised moans _sure as hell sounded convincing_ on the other side of that thin wall.

He slid the door open again with his clog—because he desperately couldn't stand listening to her make those sounds—not caring if she was still undressing. To his surprise, the brunette finished donning her characteristic pink kimono. No matter how he looked at it, her new outfit always struck a memory of the old one with the yellow floral design. She was just finishing up tightening the obi sash upon her waist, trying to straighten the fabric in the process. Lastly, he noticed her face stained in red…blushing madly since he must've heard…that…

"By the way…you sounded like a goat bein' strangled from out here."

"You ass, it wasn't my idea! B-besides…I thought you were someone else and I did what you said! You probably sound like a hairy baboon or something during…sex…"

"And _that _girlie, is something you will _never _find out."

"I'd NEVER _want_ _to_, you WEIRDO!"

Each hairpin she pulled out looked like a chore in itself, seeing how there were so many. Seeing Mugen's hurried movements, she didn't bother tying her hair up in the usual ponytail with a bun. Her supple neck hid from view when brown hair glided past the curves of her upper back. "Ready finally?" She nodded, smiling. Then, he lifted up the bag, eyeballing to see if a woman of her size could hide inside.

"Umm…what is that...Huh? ...Ooooh no! I'm not going in there!" Who the hell knew what could be on the sheets put in that same laundry bag; the very thought made her want to vomit.

"Either this or a lifetime of prostitution. Your choice."

"You can't even carry me- HEY!" As she was about to give protest, Mugen lifted her into the bag and slung her easily over his shoulder, despite her continuous protesting beginning to give him an earache. Light as a feather.

* * *

><p>"Eey,ey, ey! Where are you going? What's in the bag?"<p>

...They made it outside…barely making it to the next block when the voice forced Mugen to halt, girl still slung uncomfortably over a shoulder. It was surprisingly…Aito—his womanizing, annoying as fuck coworker.

Her rescuer played stupid, shrugging his shoulders and making up some half-assed adventure of a story, and that he was transporting laundry or something or other… Meanwhile, Fuu was still being carried in the most awkward of positions. There was a terrible cramping setting into her shoulder. Plus…she could feel an irrepressible sneeze coming on.

"That's for the maids to do, you know that!"

"Ah…" Fuu muttered, trying to contain the noise…

Her current savior still attempted to make an alibi with little to no luck gracing either of them. The man was fast approaching… Her arm cramped up, she couldn't cover her mouth!

_Too late!_

"ACHOO!"

"…Aww shit." Mugen dropped Fuu off his shoulder, where her face appeared from the bag, rubbing her cramped arm. The guard was quick to draw his weapon…which only revealed to be an exceptionally long tanto.

"I knew you fancied this gal, but that doesn't give you the right to steal her!"

"You really wanna try this? You're gonna lose."

"Shut up!" With that, Aito ran towards Mugen, waving the knife around with exceptionally unimpressive attacks. As for the vagrant thief, he didn't bother to draw his own blade. The brothel bouncer made a sharp slice to the left, dodged, then another swing…that missed. Removing herself from the crumpled laundry bag, Fuu almost screamed… as the knife barely missed Mugen's face. He luckily back flipped away. With skillful aim, Mugen did a flare maneuver; his legs spinning as he balanced on both hands. One of the geta collided against the bouncer's hand, metal cutting against a bare knuckle, directly knocking out the sword he carried. And as he returned to a standing position, a high kick bashed directly into the man's hip, as he too…clattered to the concrete.

Picking up the tanto, he pointed it to Aito's face who cowardly whimpered as Mugen standing over him graced the steel knife against the tip of his nose. Then…

…the blade was tossed lightly upon the his chest. "Tch…ain't worth it. Fight me when ya trained some more."

As Mugen returned casually back to Fuu who had her hands folded on her lap as she watched the fight…neither expected the unusual act of sympathy go unrewarded. Aito screamed as high as his voice could carry "SOMEONE HELP! THE RUNAWAY IS THIS WAY! HURRY!

Seconds after Mugen's ex-coworker released the baleful shriek for reinforcements, the vagabond had Fuu up and on her feet again. They were dashing off, many more men chasing after with Mugen yelling to the girl to "hurry her slow ass up" and about why he "shoulda' just killed the guy". Fuu still couldn't figure out how she kept up with his pace…unless he was holding back for her.

* * *

><p>"I think, hahh….we made it." There was a short distance remaining between them and the hostel; the pursuing brothel lost track of them long ago. Now was her chance.<p>

Out of nowhere, Fuu clutched the sleeve on his arm pulling him to an abrupt standstill. He flinched back as his hand was grabbed, but something was placed within that wasn't her palm. "The hell's this?" perturbed at what the hell she was giving him. No one really gave him anything, so it came as strange.

"Happy early and belated birthday, please accept it!" With loose hair a mask, Fuu bowed at a formal 90 degree angle super quick which really was beginning to freak him out.

"What the hell are ya bowing for? And what's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means what it means, jerk. Geez…Can't you be just a _little_ appreciative?" The brunette groaned, before standing straight again; resuming her normal composure, to then slump shoulders in defeat.

"Okay…Long story short…there was this necklace I wanted to buy but it was too expensive. So the shopkeeper told me I could work for it. Next thing I know, he's got his hands on me and I'm screaming… Police showed up to my rescue. When I tried explaining what happened, that old geezer slipped the necklace into my kimono and claimed I stole it! So…I said I worked at the brothel so I could get an easier chance to escape than jail." Fuu explained, giving the best brief story possible. The jerk already seemed bored after the first sentence; picking at his ear with a pinky finger. It still didn't make much sense about his birthday…

"So you're sayin' that the whole brothel thing was a scandal that ultimately led to you stealing a necklace…for a present. And then you got me to help you escape."

Fuu nodded.

"You are one _crazy _little bitch, ya know that?" At least he was half expecting this punch in the arm, which didn't hurt and sure wasn't meant to, from what Mugen could tell. "But what's this got to do with my birth date? You don't know it's today."

"You were born in the fall. And, you said you don't know how old you are until _after_ fall passes. But you fit the western star sign Sagittarius which is in Japanese winter... So you should celebrate your birthday _after_ fall passes. Winter. Make sense? Today's the first day of winter." she sounded proud.

Wait…now that just sounded so damn confusing. Not to mention, Fuu just completely disregarded the entire Japanese calendar! What then came to mind were all the notes the girl had taken on the Sagittarius sign, within the book that was still secretly concealed in the confines of _his_ clothes. "Is that somethin' you can just make up whenever you feel like?!"

"YES! Hmm…your birthday is officially declared November 22. I got you a present early…technically." Fuu pointed at his hand that now clutched the jewel. "It's called a magatama. They bring good luck and safety to those who wear them. And since you constantly get into fights, it fits for you." The hidden stars above seemed more intriguing than the vagabond's confused leer since Fuu stared into the soon to be fresh winter sky.

"I don't need no damn trinket givin' me safety. I'm fine on my own and _have been _fine on my own."

"Then…wear it for me." Once again, her supple palm enclosed around his own to take the sea blue magatama back. She then reached to the left of his head, towards the hilt of the blade strapped to his back. There, a tight knotted bow was secured unto the handle to keep the brooch from slipping off. Whenever Mugen would grab for that European sword—he'd feel the twine binding the magatama— safety and protection would be provided always. Fuu then gave a resolute smile. "Okay?"

"Tch…"Please accept it." my ass, you ain't givin' me a choice. Stupid, happy ass bitch. Putting me through all that trouble... You almost got raped for this!"

She could only shrug her shoulders, smiling sheepishly up at him through the moonlight bathing their path. He sighed grumpily, scratching his fingers across his full head of disheveled hair. Situations like this—gift giving or whatever—weren't something he was…accustomed to.

"Well…thanks, _I guess_." Then, he turned around leaving Fuu to tail after.

At first the phrase wasn't heard properly, taking a minute for Fuu to _truly_ register what a revolutionary thing her companion indicated. "What did you-" she paused on the road…silent, and then soon followed. It began to dawn on Fuu slowly…

The fact made her smile.

The amounts of times Mugen had uttered such a polite expression such as "thank you" wouldn't even make it to singular digits on one hand. This was beyond rare, bizarre even! She stopped the burning urge to bug him on further over what he actually said…because if she did, he would never EVER say it once more. So, she buried his gratitude over a humble little gift into a room of the heart where it will be hard to forget.

* * *

><p>"This ain't the first time. At the beginning to finding the sunflower guy, I went to find ya when you were in a brothel."<p>

"Huh? No…I clearly remember when you found me at the Gambler's Den, Jin was there too. You said you came back because no one was chasing after you." referring to their previous journey when they were both two years younger.

"Well that too! I was bored and was itchin' for a fight." They currently lazed around the same inn…but would soon have to travel great distances for the journey ahead. Seemed like it never ended…

"You came back…You really came back to save me even at the start? I never knew you cared even then…"

"I _didn't_and _don't_ care. What I don't get is how ya always have some fuckin' concept in your head that every guy out in the world is like some mushy, flowery samurai or somethin' that worries sick about ya every second of every hour of every day. I was your friggin' bodyguard, remember? Don't think too hard or you'll hurt yourself."

Once more, Mugen couldn't stop watching her, as she went silent, as she took on a look of loss... Sometimes he just couldn't handle that silence, the unwelcoming blur settling dully between their mouths.

"But…But anyway, hear anything about what's his face?" he asked, mostly to get her to say_ something_; Jin still was the same, specific man they had no clues on a location for.

Fuu pondered…"No, not yet. But we're going to Hamamatsu next… The brothel gave me an idea. I thinks someone Jin knew is there."

"WHAT?! Why all the way there?! That's a completely outta' the way direction!" infuriated to see she hadn't paid his statement any mind, humming a little tune to herself, he grumbled with swears…

The girl lied back down, chestnut hair no longer tied as it draped down her back. She skimmed upon pages, having found the book on a table in the hostel room though she never aroused a memory of placing it there… Weird… Glancing over to Mugen, Fuu narrowed her eyes… _'Hmm…nah. Mugen would never read something like this.' _She exhaled when he appeared asleep. The compatibility section was towards the end. She scanned the pages, passing muddled lines, and long listings, elaborate pictures of what seemed to be a crab, then a giant cat she never seen before…until, she stopped at a young woman surrounded by stars. On the same page, she looked for any mention of Sagittarius. Fuu could _just imagine_ the fomenting snort release if he knew what sign she was. Figures an innocent girl like her, with no sex appeal was a...Virgo.

The summer symbol where this book first originated from meant "the virgin".

_Sagittarius and Virgo Love Horoscopes_

_These two usually never form a favorable connection. In fact, Sagittarius and Virgo are so opposite that they tend to never get a relationship started to begin with. Because of this, they rarely give such commitment a chance. Sagittarius needs change, Virgos desire stability. While Virgos, who tend to be judgmental openly stress about togetherness, the wandering Sagittarius prefers space. Their desires don't match up. Also, the straightforward nature of the Sagittarius can hurt the more easily offended Virgo. It isn't a pairing that can be together without difficulty._

Not being able to read any further, Fuu slammed the book shut, the pages releasing a puff of dust particles into the barren space… And she scolded herself quickly for even beginning to wonder how romance could possibly work between them._'It was a stupid impulse…why the heck would I even bother looking at that?!'_Everything else had seemed so correct, so certain as if it stared directly into her core being.

Tossing the hardcover to some gloomy corner—she fluffed the pillows that were a little too soft—laying restlessly for the remainder of the night.

"_Don't think too hard or you'll hurt yourself."_

The pink clad woman never finished reading the page.

_Things take time. Their struggles to be together stem from the uncertainty of how the other may feel about their romantic partnership. Despite these negatives, when these two symbols look past such difficulties to ultimately be together…their apparent sacrifices can form one of the best and most devoted partnerships._

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _DAMN IT FUU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO READ EVERYTHING! See what can happen if ya skip important details? ;) _In the beginning (if anyone seen this), her daily horoscope said "Don't be surprised if you make a man's day." She made Mugen's day by giving him a gift, even though she thought it was because she was thrown in a brothel.

**Kagema-** male prostitute

**Saiken- **very detailed catalogues on the individual women of the brothels

**Yujo Hyobanki- **booklets that critiqued different courtesans, listing their names, skills, assets, prices etc.

Me: Heheheheh….so cute.

Fuu: What is?

Mugen: Not you.

Fuu: HEY!

Me: Before you guys kill each other….Mugen, you secretly think Fuu's so dah sexyyyy. ;}

Mugen: Bullshit! I'd much rather get to know you…

Me: …uh Mugen…Do you have a fifteen year old complex? That's how old Fuu was when you first met her too…

Mugen: You're that young?! You look twenty!

Me: …And I also cosplayed as Fuu multiple times…

Mugen: NO WAY!

_Yup, I was fifteen writing this specific chapter before it was revised…_

_I added a quick fight scene, courtesy to my reviewer _**MissAshlynn**_ who said it didn't seem that easy to break out of a brothel unnoticed. After rereading, I agree. Sword slinging is a huge part of Samurai Champloo…even though Mugen didn't kill anyone this chapter. It's like Episode 7 where Jin didn't kill his fellow student, Ogura._

_Leave a Review/Fav/Follow? And don't forget to check out my Tumblr, _**ryukyuan-sunflower**_. You don't have to follow me if you don't want, but I'd love it all the more. _

_**End of Chapter 18**_


	21. Chapter 19 Swathed in Snowfall

_**Chapter 19 Swathed in Snowfall**_

{Original Title: The Warmest Snow}

[A/N]: _Owarimashita. _

_I received an anonymous message on Tumblr stating they didn't want Mugen and Fuu arguing as much this chapter. I was debating whether or not to put the ending to this in, so I hope you'll enjoy anonymous messenger. :3 It's a bit fluffy (though it could be counted as angst)._

_This chapter brings up events of the last episodes in singular lines in italics. Tried changing up my writing style for this chapter. It's gonna be OOC, hopefully not too OOC…Let me know what you think. (That's a Samurai Champloo track, "Let Me Know What You Think" by the amazing Nujabes)._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo or any other Samurai Champloo character etc. This is kind of depressing to admit this, but the actual characters would have a better time owning themselves than me owning them…

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 19 Swathed in Snowfall<strong>_

Winter's first snow fell gently onto the ground, white flakes dancing upon their untimely descent. The sun's light is covered by dreary clouds nonetheless producing a beautiful atmosphere. Footprints he leaves behind are followed by a female leisurely inhaling the scentless air—not too chilly—no; _perfect_. Straight black hair whooshes against his back, while gyring just enough to view her gracious outline fully. One of the rare smiles forms on the forever stoic features. She runs up to him, intertwining her arm within his own, and leans her head upon his shoulder. They continue side by side through the dawn.

She's so happy to be here…._be here with him_, that tears are naturally preordained.

Her companion carries a parasol, red in color; a color he remembers well. Though a pat of her fingers insisted they not use it, letting the icy precipitation caress their cheeks dashed in touches of pink; another color memorized by heart.

"I wish the snow will never stop." murmurs the maiden into her lover's ear. Her steamy breaths indicate the frost enveloping them. The man, pale in complexion chuckles when she says this…because he remembers saying something similar some time ago.

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh I see…Once the rain stops, you'll leave." She whispers, avoiding his solemn stare to the windows of her prison, strafing showers of ceaseless rain being her only salvation to forget. Forget this life, her new life. This cage.<em>

_He responds simply._

"_I hope that the rain…will never stop."_

* * *

><p>Adjusting the glasses by pushing them higher up the bridge of his nose, the samurai sees faintly the fogging caused by their temperate exhales. It however, doesn't feel cold enough to snow this day. Even still, he wonders why she wishes it will not reach an end. "Why, Shino-san?" The white stipples against the vapors of the sky further fall, speckling their dark hair in translucent silver.<p>

Jin, the ronin can feel pressure apply to his arm. It is a silent plead for him to not leave again.

"Because then…I can cling to you like this." Affirmation of these confessing words is furthered by her hugging his side. "And you could just call me Shino. I've called you just Jin for so long now. There's no need for honorifics." She adds while giggling into her closed fist at his formality even after all he's done for her.

"Shino…" the name sounds soothing and perfect on Jin's pallid lips. A smile forms in accordance to the way he says it endearingly. They stop amidst their stroll. Her eyes look so gently up into his cold ones. She has this ability to warm them, making those darkened, azure pools finally soft and open to another human being. This gentle woman can do that…

…just as_they_ did.

Shino leans on her toes as far as they allow, kissing him tenderly.

His glasses end up nearly poking her eye. "Those glasses get in the way every time. But they suit you well, nonetheless."

At first, Jin didn't consider buying a new pair of spectacles; it wasn't as if he needed them in any regards for sight. The last pair had only been a way of concealing who he truly was, not only a disguise to run from the dojo students… but to create a false persona internally. Then came along Mugen and Fuu, who opened his heart to change.

More out of sheer sentimentality than replacement…Jin bought a new pair as a reminder of what the trio had endured and moved through and now, the glasses became much more than a mask to conceal someone running from a not so distant past. They _were_his past and an official part of him; a remnant both Mugen and Fuu grew fond of in the year they'd spent together, once upon a time.

Shino convinced him of this.

He had only worn the new pair in front of Shino_ once_ for fear that she could not recognize his reserved exterior without the trademark lens… That fear proved silly as soon as he witnessed the woman standing on a secluded bridge in the rain, the desolating fog hiding her teary, disbelieving stare. _"Hello again, my unagi stand samurai."_ the once unfortunate female had specified when she looked calmly beside her to the samurai donned in a gray blue.

After the fateful individuals met again, she insisted he should continue to wear glasses: his last, cracked set having been lost to the ocean tides _near a lonely island holding the finale of their short and sweet journey_.

It came up in conversation as they sat and ate in comfortable silence one day, why he had tucked the lavish eyeglasses away after spending so much to purchase them. While it was true that he _did not_ require his vision to be enhanced, Shino insisted they were befitting to his appearance. Without glasses…Jin didn't seem like…_Jin_.

He's worn glasses every day since then.

As for how life had treated the master-less samurai, he was pretty well off. There was some unfinished business to take care of, returning to Shino being a prime example. Some events occurred in which he had much money to spare, more than the three ever saved on their travels.

He could only wish the same happened for the wild man of dark scarlet and the compassionate woman of a light pink.

"Tell me again about your journeys. Tell me about those two you traveled with." Their fingers intertwine as the dark leafless tree lines whir by the road the heartfelt couple walks.

"Those two…They were the first people I could ever call friends." His words are always concise. Shino loves to hear them to try to piece everything together.

As the infamous trio had separated, Jin was the solitary individual to return to that crossroad overlooking picturesque scenery. His mind willed him to stray back steadily—eyes forward, pending their familiar bickering, voices laughing and waiting…for him— much to his surprise and maybe…disappointment, they weren't there. And it came to an unexpected and finalized realization that his two fellow travelers were serious about separating. There was not to be an after even though there was no reason to _not be_… Then again, there was no reason there _should have been_ an after either. So he closed his eyes, smiled and rerouted back the way he was originally headed. Without the two.

They were the ones who didn't return to the crossroad.

Mugen and Fuu.

That day must have been almost a year and a half ago now.

The ronin always expected Fuu to have returned first, crying about how her two inconsiderate bodyguards already left without her, or took her "parting ways speech" seriously when really, it all was just another cruel joke… But he remembers quickly that the sunflower girl believed Mugen would always leave…she even confided that fear within the trusted samurai towards the end. _On that lonely river bank, after their last campfire together was extinguished to dusty ash. Where she hugged him desperately, apologizing over who she'd rather choose to win if their duel was fated to be._

And she was right. Mugen never returned to look for her either. The man in gray had also anticipated the wild vagrant in red to pull Fuu back to him, to a place where he would no longer have to let her go anymore. After all…Jin always saw the way they'd fondly watched each other…like the times when the other_wasn't_ watching. Jin still ponders, not understanding why Mugen didn't refuse to leave her that day. He always came back; _like that time in a lonely church where Fuu was bound by rope stinging her delicate skin. When she was no longer expecting to hear the clank of geta again_.

And as stubborn as Mugen was, when Jin stated truly that Fuu was depending on _Mugen_ to save her, the pirate left so fast to her rescue. _"Take care of Fuu." _was what he'd said to the ex-pirate back then.

So why? He doesn't understand why those two stubborn people had _NOT_been stubborn enough to _refuse_separating.

Maybe their constant banter of hate filled words was a way of guising something…something that was…

…deeper than words.

He watched selfish, wild animals of people who couldn't stand one another begin to care for each other after all the hardships they'd undergone as a team. They grew extremely on their journey and assisted in each other's growth as well; this included Jin.

A lighthearted voice interrupts these contemplations of two he'd become fond of. "Say, whatever happened to your two traveling companions?" Shino enquires, reaching for a room in her dearest's heart she wishes she could understand just the same. Perhaps one day, the woman clad in a humble green would be blessed with formally meeting those whom the calm warrior cherishes. Jin honestly doesn't know where they are, or what had happened to them. His heart stirs briefly over this, inducing a memory on the idea that perhaps those two may have found each other after all.

He wonders how they are silently, but doesn't begin to fear that they aren't alive. People like that after all, just_ don't_ die. It's no secret that he misses their company.

'_Take care of Fuu, Mugen.' _

So he answers her question on what happened to them in his most characteristic way, a way Mugen and Fuu would have nodded quietly to before pressing onward to their next destination.

"…Hmm…"

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, there's a woman I'm looking for….Her name is Shino." All morning, Fuu had been tiresomely trying to gather information on their elusive friend by figuring out where one of his few acquaintances resided. Perhaps that woman from the brothel knew of their four-eyed companion? The duo hitched a ride from a carriage in Hikone leading straight to Nagoya which proved no time at all. (They'd actually slipped onto the hay covered wagon, which kept them warm until they were discovered and…booted off.) From thereon, they walked to Hamamatsu station. As of now, Fuu was interrogating the owner of a resident eel stand slow on business from the sudden snowfall.<p>

"Shino-san? That woman used to run the dry-goods cleaners shop. About…let's see, _wow_. A while ago! Don't mean to gossip but, her husband sold her into prostitution after accumulating gambling debt. I heard she went to a divorce temple…But I guess something happened to the husband. He died which nullified their marriage so she left early on her three year sentence."

"Her husband died?"

"Yeah. Killed, actually. Some say the gambling house he owed debt to finally got him since Shino was in a divorce temple and couldn't pay for the expenses with brothel work. Others say his own wife hired someone to kill him so she could leave the divorce temple early. Or maybe it was just some guy who didn't like him."

"And Shino? Where did she go after she was freed?"

He continued, seeing how desperate she was for clues. "Word on the street is she's traveling with some ronin now. Funny, it's the same guy who worked for me a couple of years back. I guess he came back for her. Fell in love maybe."

Her eyes lit up. "That's them! That's Jin and Shino! Do you know where he is now?"

"I think the two of them are heading towards cities in the west. Not sure which one, maybe Osaka?"

'_They got together after all. Huh.'_

Something in Fuu made her want to smile and cry at the same time…maybe because she never had anyone return her own affections? No, she wasn't going to think about something ridiculous like that; for now, she should be every bit happy for Jin!

The man dressed snuggly in a hanten over his regular kimono-wear looked taken aback by what the brunette wore since she lacked proper winter wear of any kind to provide a shield of warmth from winter's treachery. Right before Fuu could leave, her stomach created a voice of its own, angrily shouting in protest for food.

"Hungry? This _is_ an eel stand, you know."

"I…I have no money." She replied in a humble way, lowering her head and looking up at him.

"Umm…I can cook you some eel if you'd like. No business anyway so it'll be on me. I'm bored sitting her waiting for _someone_ to stop by." The man indeed felt sorry for her, scratching his cheek while debating within himself if a girl of her stature would eat little.

…Mugen, whom had seen nonexistent during their conversation seemed to appear from thin air, taking a seat beside Fuu to eat every piece of food in sight. "Don't mind if I do."

"Uh wait, that was just for…her…Ah, whatever." Mugen and Fuu watched in wonder as the man skillfully prepared the unagi—slicing through them, charring the meat over the embers, then inserting the skewers and dipping them into the delectable sauce— before setting it down on a clay platter. "I hope you two enjoy."

They tore into the seafood, done in seconds… "Can you make more?"

Then after that serving…

"Damn, this is good. Make some more."

The eel stand proprieter began to feel drops of sweat forming on his brow….

"More please?"

Their appetites…were _a force to be reckoned with_.

* * *

><p>As they finished their more or less rude pillaging of all the chow, the inconsiderate wanderer got up, leaving Fuu no choice but to tag along. "Thank you so much sir, for everything! Mugen, chotto!"<p>

The eel stand manager sighed severely before alighting an unexpected, _but true_ smile when the pretty traveler ran after her friend.

It became plain as day the further they walked, the more Fuu wanted (forced) Mugen to listen to her. "Hey, at least come with me to buy a haori or something to put over this flimsy kimono! If I'm this cold now, I'm going to _freeze_ later!"

_Fuu was ranting._

"You know, you don't have to ignore me because I say I'm cold. You're probably just as cold with those shorts on and you don't want to say anything! Mugennnnn!"

_Again._

You can bet he wasn't in the mood for listening, especially since it felt much too warm to snow, they were broke as all hell and he reeeeallly needed to get laid right now. No one would witness Mugen complaining, not once! On he moped, dragging geta through the slush stacking without breaks or pauses. Then he thought of something…a conniving plan to get the whining brunette back for all the complaining he thoroughly failed to tune out.

"Come on, you jackass! Speak to m-"

"Eh?" She made an innocent yelp after realizing Mugen stopped in his tracks affront of where she followed. It appeared he bent to pick something up, who knows what…and she couldn't see over the sloping shoulders. Fuu squeaked _the second time _when Mugen appeared right in front of her, _towering_ over her. "Hey, how about you…" He leaned down for a second, as if wanting her to listen in on what he was saying, (trying really hard to keep a solemn façade).

She couldn't help but mentally flip as the girlish heart within escalated its volume or the little butterflies creeped into her gut. Fuu cursed all these sudden feelings, using her logic that it was nothing and_ Mugen_ was…what was Mugen going to do anyway? _'Why's he so close? Why's he staring like that?!'_

"…chill for a bit."

When the innocent and much too trusting woman felt the soppy ice slide down her bare skin, it became obvious _why_ he'd stopped.

At the rear of her kimono collar, it was opened by lightning fast handwork…and a frosty lump of snow got dumped down the exposed skin of her back. "EYAHHH" He—the evil son of a bitch— retreated quickly to a safe distance while Fuu squirmed outrageously in a fit of pure hysteria from the now freezing clothes. The temperature wasn't incredibly low so the snow kind of….slid down repulsively like cold worms wriggling to be free. Ugh… And her obi was secured on her waist so the snow stagnated at the bottom instead of escaping all the way to the back of her calves...

Mugen was practically dying of laughter; _and she wished he would_, the bastard!

"YOU JERK!" Oh, she_ so_ planned to get that asshole back tenfold. The sleet-like snow was cold, giving her shivers as much as the frozen liquid in her attire but she was far too infuriated by the inconsiderate jerk to notice. Mugen felt something wet crash into his back.

As he turned around, another flew directly into his face, catching him flawlessly by surprise.

His dubious glare visible after the snow slipped off his stubble having chin was absolutely worth it. "Little bitch!" There Fuu stood arrogantly, one hand on her feminine hip and the other nonchalantly tossing a snowball up to land back into her hand. "Well if you're so offended, come and get me then! I bet you can't, you're too slow!"

"Bet you I can!"

She should've known not to taunt a man whose killed people. A few strides later, Mugen already caught up to her for the second time with a tackle, knocking her off balance for her to tumble straight into an accumulated pile of snow. Mugen was about to celebrate his victory when Fuu seized his arm, pulling him right down with her.

She threw more into his face while he began scooping piles of snow, pouring it over her head. It was so…childish. But neither wanted to finish the cheerful activity. Neither could contain their laughter, and neither had laughed in such a way in so long… This feeling…was nothing short of _warm_ in her chest alone, made her head feel all dizzy inside. They whipped the icy orbs relentlessly at each other, egging the other on with every successful shot; especially to the face.

After some time, Fuu gave in first to the onslaughts of snow throwing in which Mugen proved to be a pro.

"Guess I win." Mugen smirked in pride, sprawling his legs out carelessly.

"And now I'm even _more_ cold." revealed her grumble, but she wasn't any less happy that they got to hang out like this. She pulled her knees to her chest, hopefully to hiding that huge smile from Mugen's perception

"Lemme' see." Fuu reeled waaaaay back as the bad mannered male grabbed hold of her hand against her incessant gripes. How she could possibly begin to complain about being cold, he doesn't know considering how her warmth surged into his hand. "Your hand ain't even that cold. We're low on cash too, I'm pretty positive it's gonna be only a little chilly this year." All those words weren't heard by Fuu, who was tied up with the realization that Mugen was _holding her hand_. "Maybe if we travel south after Nagoya, it'll be somewhat warmer." he persisted on.

Shards of daylight slipped through the heavy cloud cover, bathing the snow in glowing rays of light. Mugen reached his other hand to brush off the snow on her head. Taking a strand of loose wet hair dangling in her face, he slipped it behind her ear with the same unoccupied hand. She gave him a questioning stare. Then he brought his palm to her head and tousled her hair all over again, kind of made her feel like a kid. Their faces were so close; the breathy wisps of hot air released from their mouths could be felt on both their frozen faces.

Fuu's cheeks burned in rosy shades at their close proximity and the way he had so nonchalantly fixed her locks. Heat erupted inside her, and that was strange…But she didn't want him to let go, not by any means. So she let him examine her closely, and continue holding her hand. The blushing young woman also allowed him to pull her up on her tired feet before they eventually got _too close_, an action not in his nature. She didn't dare complain.

Fuu then does something she knows she'll regret later. Instead of letting go of his palm still holding her own, she squeezes tighter.

Holding his hand was strictly off limits. He even said within the company of the child Kokoro that he wasn't a "holding hands type of guy". Why out of all the women in the world would he choose, let alone _allow_ _Fuu_ to hold his hand? Part of her more rational brain knows she's not supposed to get this close to a man like him; that getting closer will end up condemning her all the more by the end.

But she might not be freezing_later_ and she's freezing right_now_ and _his_ hand is in _hers_ and its _warm_ and there she wants it to _stay_….and…

The bewildered expression he gives back wounds her…Not enough to push her away though; she's definitely too physically cold to let go.

"Thanks. That was really fun." she says, and Mugen sort of shrugs off what she's doing over what she said and actually DOESN'T move to pull away from her clamp on his fingers.

_She knows_ that eventually, sooner than later, in hardly any time at all, Mugen _WILL_ ease out of her grasp. And it _will_hurt a lot because once again, she's not supposed to get close to something this warm. Eventually it'll begin to burn her. Fuu _knows_ this. But…

At least for right now, _in this single and short moment_ _holding his hand_, she wouldn't feel so friggin' cold.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _KYAH! Slight fluff XP The ending changed its past tense to present tense on purpose…kinda artistic(?)_

_The Samurai Champloo track Deeper than Words was referenced._

Me: So Jinny, how would you describe the relationship between Mugen and Fuu?

Jin: Hmm…

Shino: He doesn't very talk much.

Me: Yeah….we discovered this after the first few episodes. Okay, can you please use more than one syllable?

Jin: Mugen and Fuu's relationship…Idiotic.

Me: Idiotic…That's three syllables…*takes notes* Good good, anything else?

Jin: Violent. Temperamental. Bipolar.

Me: Would you say they…may in fact have something deeper than friendship?

Jin: If you could call their relationship friendship in any regards then….Hmm…

Me: YOU BASTARD! I NEED A DIRECT ANSWER! *Starts throttling Jin*

*Somewhere else far, far away*

Mugen: My left ear's ringin' bad.

Fuu: Me too! …Doesn't that mean someone's talking bad about us?

_The story is still…pretty far from over. _

_I've ruined a mystery element the show always had….how it's never really known who the samurai who smells of sunflowers was for a while or where he was. Mugen and Fuu don't really know if Jin's alive or not yet, or where he's headed and what he's doing. So, I guess I tried to keep the mystery for them as valid as possible… (Making excuses for myself). _

_Review if you're confused on some details, liked it, got feedback, or anything. I love them ;3 and thanks to everyone who followed me on Tumblr!_

_**End of Chapter 19**_


	22. Chapter 20 Begrudging of the Breakdancer

_**Chapter 20 Begrudging of the Break-dancer**_

{Original Title: So, Who's Jealous Again?}

[A/N]: _OMEDATOU GOZAIMASU! HAPPY SAMURAI CHAMPLOO 10__TH__ ANNIVERSARY OF AIRING EPISODE 1 IN JAPAN! It's hard to believe this anime is a decade old TT-TT AND_ _GUESS WHAT! I'M ALIVE! And I'm so, so very sorry. You all have the right to throw me into a horde of zombies… I apologize for taking all of your wonderful support for granted and not updating for months upon moths. ;(_

Reasons For Hiatus: _lazy, lack of inspiration, writing other stuff, had to move to a new apartment, got a puppy I named Scout (after Team Fortress 2), lazy, played videogames, still no internet besides public library, phone was off too, preparing for anime conventions, grades have plummeted, more videogames…again, lazy, annnnnnnnd LAZY etc. etc. _Then when I started to get ultra serious: _MY LAPTOP CRASHED. I almost lost all of my revisions and future chapter outlines and close to had a nervous breakdown. Luckily, I managed to get it all back from the hard drive._

**BY THE WAY REALLY IMPORTANT**: _If you hadn't seen, I've actually been at work for the last few months. I (semi)revised(?)chapters 1 through 21 finally (the first two are now prologues), all for the tenth anniversary. There's still typos which some fanfiction caused and some I have to fix later. The chapters have a lot of extra things and most errors fixed. Example, flashback scenes in Chapter 4 (now labeled chapter 2) and 18 (now labeled chapter 16) and a lot of more in character dialogue throughout. I've taken out some stuff I found OOC and unneeded. There's more storyline and scenes in some chapters such as 10 which is completely rewritten lol._

_**Highly suggest**__ rereading them before you go on ahead. It'll give a recap of the story, and also a completely new experience since a lot has been reworded better. Or…at least reread the first chapter (the first prologue) since it's the shortest and I put so much time into this lol. And now I'm gonna hafta revise this and all the chapters ahead XP _

_So, I'm back, and you better believe that there's more chapters to come. Hope you guys didn't forget about little ol' me TT-TT _

_ONE MORE THING IF ANYONE CARES. I just want to give a giant thank you to everyone who had read, followed, reviewed and given me this constant support. I honestly can't believe how many of you there are...and this story would never have continued without you people. Thank you for not giving up on me, and continuing to read. You guys are the reasons I write. I reread all my reviews…ALL of them…and I want to hug and kiss all of you until I melt into a giant puddle of love…and sadness that I never updated in so long. If there are any of you that I haven't thanked or I have abruptly ceased contact with in a PM, I apologize for that. So contact me(again if ya feel like). It's so hard to keep track of so many email and messages. And I didn't use internet and stuff blaaah. Also, you guys deserve better than this shitty chapter that's really a beginning for later events for the next few._

_BUT yeah, enough of this soppy stuff!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. C'MON, I'm already wallowing in a pool of sorrow as it is…

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 20 Begrudging of the Break-dancer<strong>_

Fuu wasn't in a particular mood to speak with anyone. She soon became even more irritated today, especially after her traveling escort acted like a complete ASS for no stated reason. Maybe hunger? Because personally, she was _starving_. _'When's the last time we'd eaten good, Hamamatsu?!' _ Presently, the solitary girl was wedged somewhere in the core of Nagoya. With insufficient money on hand, on the verge of freezing to death and utterly lost to make matters worse; the day seemed to keep getting _better and better_… So, she walked, then walked some more.

Of course, Mugen naturally went astray at the tiny mention of their respective duties; such as work or finding the forever elusive ronin.

Such ineluctable feelings were frantically impended to be shaken off before they threatened to make her stress level hit another point of no return… To no avail…

Then, "Hello there, miss!" someone interjected into her thoughts. It was a male's voice—an unknown one…

Whoever that person may be, he went completely ignored. Her nimble pace remained urgent, furthering spread the distance between the two strangers. Even despite how friendly Fuu could _normally_ be and despite how she _should _be asking around about a man by the name of Jin, she was just _sick _of communicating. If she weren't so fed up, maybe she could've asked how to get back to that inn they rented a room in...

Maybe the guy following her would know.

…Speaking of that, the random person continued an attempt to ignite discussion with the girl falling into a dark hole of disinterest. Disinterest was also caused by Mugen deserting her... "Excuse me, miss?"

Why should she worry what _Mugen's_ doing anyway? The idiot was probably out gallivanting with some nameless tramp. Typical behavior shouldn't bother her at all by now…

Lately it had. _More than ever before._

Once again, another sound ripped out these infuriating views.

"Miss, wait up!" verbalized the soft voice yet again…as luck would have it, the _same _voice she'd previously heard and disregarded twice. Except now it became more pronounced in back of her.

He'd been on the other side of the street standing below a machiya's awning where he first witnessed a young woman in pink clothes trekking through mounds of snow without as much as a jacket to keep warm. Everyone else cooped themselves inside or at a diner in this particular merchant district. Seeing such a strange sight, he set off to converse with her.

'_Just avoid him… He'll go away eventuallyyyyy…'_ she sung in her head. An irate groan withdrew itself from the woman's stomach, making the man overlapping her own zigzagging footprints chuckle at the noise. Severe hunger pains were pretty annoying. Crabby Fuu didn't bother spiraling back to meet the man_. 'Probably some weirdo…' _she grimaced cantankerously.

And now he was following her! _Wonderful!_

"Let me buy you dinner." The unidentified male suddenly said, which Fuu still tried to ignore with a humble shaking of the head, mumbling off something she doesn't bother to remember saying. This only came out like she were being shy, declining the kind offer since he became so determined. Not once did she stop walking.

_Haha._ Someone offering free food was few and far between incidences.

Wait…

Was this guy asking her out?

She stopped in her tracks. _Finally_ taking the gamble to peek at her persistent pursuer, the girl partially careened her neck, apt enough to sneak a weary glance over one shoulder…

To discover a handsome man in the "creep's" place was unforeseen!

_And_, this guy wasn't absolutely dreadful or old like the male attention tailing her every move! Indeed, the gentleman trying to spark up conversation must have been between her and Mugen's age. His short hair was tied back in a small ponytail with a twisted sweatband wrapped upon his forehead. With jet black hair and clean-shaven, he quite resembled Jin's regal look—with a touch more traces of youthfulness. On the contrary, his overall attire abided to a less formal street fashion. The clothes he wore looked strikingly trendy; the undershirt was long while the hakama were short with pieces of tight cloth instead covering his shins. The insulated happi coat was dyed a neat gray with black and dark olive accents swirling around the front.

Fuu stuttered, having been caught off guard.

She rotated herself slightly more to face him…but, "Wait! Stay just like that. Don't move. Look at me, but keep your back to me." On each hand he stuck out his pointer finger and thumb, making a square frame and centering her within it. The older teenager leaned forward, examining each detail of the frozen lady as if with a fine toothed comb…

_"Amazing_. Oh, sorry, sorry. You just…_wow_. So familiar." he stated as if in wonder.

'_Oh god, he's a weirdo!'_

"Umm…"

Next, the young man threw two arms in the air, snapping a finger with the next proud exclamation. "Backwards Beauty! You resemble an ukiyo-e painting I bought at an auction a while back… I mean, it may not be popular at all and it was relatively inexpensive, but I think many have yet to understand the genius of Moronobu Hishikawa. "

'_Backwards Beauty…and Moronobu Hishikawa?'_

* * *

><p>"<em>This is my studio." The ukiyo-e artist motions to the house beside where they stand.<em>

"_Ehhhhhh."_

_A voice in the distance rips through the town's peaceful nature, her and Moronobu looking around to see where this clamor is echoing from. "Come back here, damn it!" …Fuu knows well that it's him yelling, not Jin, because of the clanking of the geta and from how LOUD he bellows the improper words!_

_He's sprinting through the streets full force. Then, he screeches to a halt on one clog when he sees her there, the metal searing as it braces against the dirt. _

"_What kind of trouble are you causing this time?" Fuu scolds, hands lying at her sides. The translucent disapproval she gives is enough to tick the brute off._

_As always, Mugen responds to this in disinterest…and yet, sounds extremely critical of the matter "Look who's talking. Why are you messin' around with lover boy here?" _

"_You've got it all wrong." She argues. Taking a single step forward, Fuu makes sure to add declared pride "I came here to do a modeling job." It's a boast, since this bodyguard of hers never bothered to look at her as more than a little brat so far on their journey. He probably wouldn't think of her as anything else either… She gives a slight pose, putting a hand behind her head, then to her hip._

_Like usual, he turns his head away…annoying her all the more. "Crap, he got away." _

_Just as fast as he'd stopped to talk with the woman he's supposed to be body guarding; Mugen's off again to beat up the idiot thug. This is much to Fuu's frustration who huffs and enters the studio with Moronobu._

* * *

><p>Fuu remembered that same day soon turned into the second instance of her newest career of being <em>kidnapped<em> on their first adventure for the samurai who smelled of sunflowers. Mugen…went running all across town to find her while Jin played Japanese chess: shogi, with an old man the whole day…

"Oh yeah! I…modeled for that a while ago."

"REALLY?! Then it _is _you! It'd be my honor to take you out to eat, Backwards Beauty." The man chuckled once more, pointing to her abdomen. She blushed in a figment of cherry at how loud her gurgling hunger pains sounded. "Look, you're pretty. I'm single. We apparently don't have any friends around, and you're hungry according to that stomach of yours. Let me buy you dinner."

Smiling politely for what seemed like the first time all day, her rose-pink lips then parted to ask of the young man's name. But before she could even do so, "Oh, Izanagi! My name is Yutaka Izanagi ." he interjected with a quick, formal bow. "And yours, love?"

'_Love…well that's a little cute.' _ It'd been quite a lengthy time since anyone bothered to say such a nice thing. Far too long. True blue recognition for her femininity was altogether taken for granted by men. (AKA: Mugen)

Any lingering idea of Mugen was rapidly tossed out the window.

"…Kasumi Fuu."

"Well Fuu-chan, would you mind accompanying me to a place down the road? They have the best yakisoba in all of Nagoya! My treat." Izanagi returned the gentle smile with his own peachy grin, scratching his head and averting an innocuous stare to the ground. He no doubt nervously waited for acceptance.

Who would_ dare_ pass up the opportunity of free food? Committing such a deed was a great sin in Fuu's eyes, considering how little they ate normally. Still…strange things always managed to happen to the youth when a mere stranger requested her company… All this time spent traveling really made "stranger danger" a helpful and established word of advice.

But he _seemed _genuine. He wasn't bad looking by any means, possessed a sweet voice and a nice smile too. Yeah…so did half the people who _kidnapped_ her. Crossing her fingers behind her waist, the weary woman reassured herself that if anything out of the ordinary happened, she could easily scream for help. If she went missing, surely Mugen could find her…right?

The idea of Mugen once again flew back in through the window Fuu forgot to seal…

Mugen… The bastard was probably out having fun with all the sluts he attracted; why should she care what he thought if she were hanging around with one guy?! Investing in this fresh motivation, the offer was accepted beyond better judgment.

One date with a guy, nothing serious? No prob!

* * *

><p>He didn't bother pouring the hot sake into the serving choko; waste of time when he'd be drinking it all anyway. Mugen sat at the oak counter of some old bar. No real fun came his way in Nagoya. Somewhere along the line, he lost track of Fuu after scooting off to spend money on some inexpensive booze, hence being in the same tavern now.<p>

They already rented a room so he didn't understand why she complained.

Mugen made sure to savor every last drop of the sake, since it'd probably be the last he'd have in a while. He picked it up, loving the sound of the liquid sloshing around; a clear sign there was plenty of rice wine left to spare. Setting it back down, he released a sigh of thorough contentment.

It was at this time—while admiring the contents of the alcohol container with feelings of love and appreciation—that a deafening thud crashed against the counter and a flailing upper limb somehow pushed the flask.

It didn't happen in slow motion before dreary eyes. An impact against his beloved alcohol and the splitting clatter of broken ceramic was all he took notice of. The rich and flavorful essence of pure beauty gracelessly spilled across the wooden counter…unto the unwelcoming dirt of the bar's floor. It was a dramatic demise. Mugen watched, as the entire broken tokkuri was emptied of its last drop.

Muscles tensed…back stiffened.

Shards of fractured pottery were picked up by disbelieving fingers after it'd fallen. He replayed the cruel event over and over like a dearest friend passed away. While to everyone else, it merely appeared that a bottle of cheap sake fell over. For Mugen though, _this was more than a great tragedy_. He blinked a few times, before looking—more like _glaring—_at the cause of last savings being wasted upon the dirty floor of this cut-rate tavern.

"You. Just. Spilled. My. Sake."

The inebriated old geezer, the sheer cause of the calamity guffawed like a fool, swaying from side to side while blubbering off some half assed, drunken stupor of an apology. Mugen was pissed, apology or not.

Nobody sitting there made an attempt to stop the vagabond in red from pummeling the neighborhood drunk. The unpredicted, first punch made the guy fly towards the exit. All of a sudden, the drunken man stood right back up with a wobble…and ran right out of that bar! Who knew they could run so fast!

"H-HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU ASSHOLE!" he bellowed, enraged and whipping out his clay-more sword from its russet casing on his back. Of course the command wasn't going to bring the drunk back, and Mugen was far too tired…and hungry to bother chasing after some idiot.

He was soon left with all eyes on him and a broken bottle of sake still dead on the floor.

Fully disheartened, Mugen clamored roughly back to his wooden stool, averting from the sight of ruin on the ground... Several death glares were shot at everyone else; primarily to one of the younger bartenders examining him with nothing less of terror. "The hell ya looking at buddy?! Mind your own damn business and do whatever it is you_ do_ around here!"

"Y-yes sir…" he sputtered out and scrambled to clean the mess.

Out of nowhere, a female with shoulder length dark hair and a vermillion kimono with several shapes and patterns approached. "WOW, you're so strong! Thanks so much for helping us! I'm Kiku, she's Umiko and this is Yuki."

"Hah?" Mugen was a tad bit confused on why the talking trio were introducing themselves…

"Sorry, that was our fault. He was harassing us and we pushed the drunk away and well…he spilled your sake." The second girl of the three spoke, Umiko…he thought, who donned mauve colored garments layered by a dark blue dochugi jacket.

"B-but we'll gladly repay it!" Yuki started. Unlike the other two, her clothes were lighter, more muted in shade. The kimono was sky blue decorated in intricate snowflake patterns, each sew individually from the others just like the true specks of winter.

Kiku nudged Yuki away, intervening again. "And buy you lunch too!"

"A token of you helping us." They all exclaimed at once.

"Well, the name's Mugen. And I guess I wouldn't mind spendin' time with lovely ladies like you three."

* * *

><p>Taking a seat at a new restaurant instead of the bar, they passed around another bottle of sake and chatted up Mugen who they were so <em>obviously<em> attracted to; talking for at least a half an hour. Stories were told…but they blabbed even more than Fuu did._ 'Kinda annoying.' _Most of the time, he just attempted to compare them…and the only thing he could find noticeably different...were their chest sizes. Kiku's bust was definitely the largest.

"No wayyyy, are you like, wanted?! That's _soooo _cool!" Umiko….or was it Yuki…began playfully jabbing Mugen in the side. Though when this was mentioned, the last girl began to quiet herself, shying back from the sights of blue imprints ringing around his wrists and ankles. She was the most flat of the three, so he didn't exactly care. But her shyness dissipated away as all three were clearly competing for his attention.

Someone entered the yakisoba shop.

For once they suddenly shifted their goggly attention to the entrance rather than the rough an' tough ex-criminal. "Isn't that Izanagi over there? Who the hell is she?! A date?!" Yuki started.

They were staring at the guy who just walked in…and the girl following suit.

"What is he doing with _her_? Didn't he just break up with _you_, Kiku?" Umiko added.

Kiku laughed, "Oh well, we have a new hottie anyway."

Out of them all…Mugen was completely lost on who was who, as they all seemed similar; around the same age, black hair though each tied theirs differently, and all talked waaay too much. Not concerning himself with this atrocious lack of remembering names, Mugen instead refocused on what the girls were studying in censure.

The man—more like a pretty boy to Mugen—was young. Ushering in the female close behind with a hand lingering on her lower back…_lower back covered in blush colored cloth_, they picked their table.

He knew that girl.

As soon as the waitress subsequently handed over the menus, someone across the diner called the male over. "Yo Izanagi, what's poppin'? Get your sorry ass over here, we've got a show for tomorrow and you're busy with the ladies _again_?!" Excusing himself with a pardoning bow, the man went off to speak with his friend. Meanwhile, Mugen observed the stranger's—_now alone_—date from the distance over the tables covered by dishes, utensils, and little tufts of napkin sticking upwards as decorations.

While she took in every detail of the menu, Mugen took in every detail of _her_.

Every little while, the young woman would fiddle with the ruby earring dangling from her left ear… He remembered her doing that same thing when they ate at a restaurant together on the first day of their unexpected reunion. As Mugen watched, the gabby group of girls continued with their "_Oh my god_"s and their "_Totally_"s, ranting and complaining about the most trivial matters of the universe; they were tuned out.

In this long-lasting second, Mugen barely contained the urge to get up, stroll on over and sit right down across from that lone brunette instead of these women he couldn't so much as tell apart. He belonged over there, _not here_. Soon the idea relinquished itself however, as the girl observing the food listings placed it down. Her concentration flitted about, drifting from one bench to another of the popular noodle shop. She always maintained a bright smile…

Well until, her gaze set on garnet.

Fuu's brow creased—she leaned forward, even rubbed her eyes with the divots of her hand—as their separate gazes greeted one another, blankness against surprise… Mugen decided rather fast to break it off. Once again, he conversed with the three women.

Fuu wouldn't just let it go that easily.

"AH?! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!" Standing up abruptly and pointing an accusing finger directly at Mugen, she hadn't realized how loud her voice had been. _'Who are they?! More importantly, he'd been eating food without me?!'_

…Then again, she realized she was in the exact same situation.

"Is that your girlfriend, Mugen-kun?" He assumed this was Kiku asking…though it proved hard to remember. Oh yeah, _biggest boobs_. The others also sized up the girl with the ponytail and bun with supplementary remnants of disdain.

"Girlfriend? _That _chick?! Never even seen her in my life."

'_Why you inconsiderate…'_

Izanagi returned shortly after conversing with the other male who had already left. "Fuu-chan, sorry to keep you waiting…" What he found was his new date still glaring across the room to a man surrounded by girls. The trio of women, Izanagi coincidentally knew.

"Uh…Do you know that guy?"

Pulled from her thoughts, the girl in pink looked back to Izanagi harmlessly. She quickly returned to the awaiting seat below. "Who,_ him_? _Nope_. I must've just mistaken him for this one complete _doushebag_ I used to travel with." aiming the ending directly at Mugen, whom merely could give a grin from afar at the insult he himself taught her. "So anyway…" she threw a last glance to the other man across the restaurant and said, "Tell me more about yourself."

"Ummm…Well, I actually work as part of Nagoya's planning committee. That's why my boy over there called me over. We make up the festivals, the shows, stuff like that." The tone her date talked in was always pleasant to the ears… _'unlike Mugen'_. Everything about the man was actually much more affable than the other. "Oh, speaking of which, we're having a festival tomorrow. I'm a b-boy in one of the showings…"

"B-boy?" the traveling girl asked.

"Yeah, b-boy, break-dancer… It's hard to explain unless you've seen it. I believe it originated somewhere in the west… It's a form of dancing, but with lots of movement, balance, and spinning all in one. It almost looks like a person's defying gravity when they dance, takes a lot of coordination and concentration. It's gotten really popular in Edo, I here."

"Ehhhh. I feel like I've seen that somewhere before… Do people fight when they brick-dance?"

"Break… _Break-dance_. And no, it's just dancing. Though, there is a competitive aspect where people have a sort of...stand-off. It's a battle of skill, not unlike two samurai dueling. Takes a lot of energy too. We end up having a lot of people who enjoy watching it. I get a lot of fans wanting me to just bust out the moves when I'm walking on the street. You know what I mean?"

"Sounds exciting! And…I've been meaning to ask…are those girls over there your fans? They mentioned you earlier." Both pairs of eyes lingered over to that corner, seeing the ladies batting their lashes and poking at the ryukyuan constantly—both Fuu and Izanagi frowning at this.

"Yeah… They come by to watch our performances in the town square every month. I know it's not very polite to talk about an ex on the first date…but those are two of mine." He motioned back to Mugen's table, and to the girl sitting right beside and across from him.

_'Two?'_ Fuu's lips tightened. "And the third?"

"Uh, she was just a casual thing. A date here, a date there. But that guy…that must be my replacement…"

On and on they chatted. Mugen every little while crept a sidelong look, his fingers squeezing over the glass of sake…to the point that the choko he finally bothered to use almost shattered around his further tightening fist …Didn't even realize the scowl he presented.

Fuu giggled at something that guy sad, but he couldn't hear what. Who the hell was he, making her laugh like that? He was the one always making her laugh, bringing her to tears with the dumb things he could say. And she'd always giggle sweetly until a pig snort would erupt that'd he make fun of her for, before she smacked him and their banter would soon end…

So then he tried very hard to wander back to the last time they joked together; when he couldn't recall, he regretted he didn't do so more often. Maybe their arguing was more common than anything or maybe he made her get pissed off...or

…C_ry more than laugh_.

'_Fuck this. I'm outta here. These three can't shut up and she's gettin' all romantic when we're leaving in a few days? Feh…' _Getting up from the seat, not without the several complaints from the girls who treated him to free food, he ambled over to the exit… Seeing as how their table was placed directly in front of the exit, he'd have to walk past them…

Fuu had a hard time keeping her chocolaty gaze dead-set on the well dressed man in front of her. Multiple times, her daydreaming drifted right past his head to behold…of all images making up the world—Mugen. Izanagi looked exasperated at her momentary attention span.

"Anyway, so Fuu-chan-"

_Mugen was walking closer._

"…It would be great to,"

_He was just behind Izanagi now._

"…Hey did you- ouch!" While Izanagi rambled on about something, the corner of Mugen's elbow had bumped into the less intimidating man's back, who'd been loosely holding up a cup of tea.

Now, Mugen was a troublemaker…and maybe he kinda hoped the guy would spill it all over himself…

To Mugen's horror, the glass of hot liquid he surreptitiously made fall out of Izanagi's hand…ended up launching towards Fuu instead, spilling across the entirety of her lap.

Splashes of tea burned, scorching vapor rose from where the herbal tea burned her legs and even the side of her cheek, as Fuu flinched back a surprised yelp, Mugen and Izanagi both shocked beyond words that she'd been injured. Her date appeared instantly at her side, pulling out a neat handkerchief tucked in a sleeve. He reached to pat the cloth on her, _touch her_ when soon Mugen intervened.

As Fuu looked up, she expected to see Izanagi's tender sapphires to be staring back at her. Instead, she found herself absorbed into the centers of two much more piercing globes, a gale brewing within the sinister irises.

What her ex-bodyguard handed the girl appeared to be a torn piece of tablecloth, something Mugen only thought of in the last moment. "My bad." stated he. It proved to be a form of a simple confession admitting somewhere that _he_ made the beverage somehow fall. No such apology went her date's way... Again, he for a final time nudged the cloth towards Fuu which she hesitantly outstretched one hand to receive. Her chest hammered away...why? Taken note of was...the quick, disapproving look he gave her date...and the way he looked back to her with evident mockery on the tongue.

Then just like that, the vagrant was off.

"…Thanks." was all she got the chance to breathe out even though he'd just left.

As a child…Fuu would always beg her mother to read stories; her favorite being cutesy romance novels. The male and female in the books would display such a strong affection towards each other that "happily ever after" always seemed like the inevitable conclusion. Ironically, Fuu would frequently ask her mother never to finish those fairytales…for fear that a "happily ever after" wasn't in the stars for the couple. She feared the end. However, her favorite parts of these stories was the things she dubbed "moments". "Moments" were the heart stopping parts, where the female of the book felt the blood pumping in her ears, her face flushing, realizing something that she buried deep down and it made her uneasy and fluttery and…

…That sure seemed like they shared a moment—brief as it was—before he departed from the restaurant with the womanly trio tailing after.

It occurred soon, when she resumed concentration to the concerned—_frowning_— break-dancer across the table, that it was Mugen she shared this moment with. Not Izanagi. _Mugen_, who pretended he didn't know her,_ Mugen_ who just walked out with three girls,_ Mugen_ who gave her date a strange and weary glare _Mugen, _the same man who she is to _NEVER _have such a moment with.

Fuu wiped away the mess of spilled tea with that same cloth. "Hey Muge-,uh…" she almost… God, she almost referred to her date as…

"Did you say something?" the boy asked.

'_This is stupid. Why am I…What's his name?…Izu…Izo…Geez, I can't remember his first name!'_

"Uh yeah, Yutaka-san, I'm full." Left over were half the contents of fried yakisoba mixed in with minced meat, seeming to be barely touched by the chopsticks placed over the bowl. Her date narrowed his eyes, since he assumed she'd been close to starving…

"You could just call me 'Izanagi-kun'. You're too formal."

"A-alright Izanagi-kun… Umm, I'm going to head back now. Thank you very much for dinner. It was nice talking to you."

* * *

><p>As the bill was paid and Fuu attempted to depart alone, Izanagi courteously walked the girl outside where the snow formed a gentle caress. "Hey, want to hang out tomorrow? I never had the chance to show you what exactly I do for performances. I'd love for you to pay a visit to our monthly Winter Festival."<p>

"I'm not sure if I-" Speckled flakes twirled vaguely in front of her eyes, blinding her view in a frayed sheet of white…but not enough to cover it completely, so she could see off in the distance. One of the three ladies with the shoulder length hair skipped back to a man dressed in red. The lass wrapped in a similar color placed a quick kiss on his cheek, then quickly scurried like a frightened rabbit back to her group of friends. They were whining at her; something about how they wanted to be the one to kiss him first… Fuu couldn't make out the idiotic details.

Something burned inside, flailing and restless, refusing to settle back down in a pit of darkness and untold truths…

Which, it didn't make any sense and the teenage woman instantly reinforced a smile back to the young man at her side to omit this dreadful feeling. "Definitely, I'll go! Nothing better to do and _no one_ better to spend time with."

"Great! I'll walk you to the town square tomorrow at noon. Where are you staying?" Scanning the lane with several businesses on each side, Fuu recognized the vague familiarity. There was the inn, the one she'd been looking for the entire time down the main street. She pointed to it. "Well, alright. I'll meet you there. See you then, Fuu-chan!" They exchanged farewells and waves while taking backward steps. "Noon! Don't forget."

When Fuu managed to luckily scoot away, she darted as fast as her feet could carry her back to the hostel.

* * *

><p>There, it was surprising to find Mugen looking out the tiny window at the flurry enduring its plunging from the sky consumed by clouds. They both figured the other hadn't headed this way.<p>

Fuu closed the door panel, kneeled onto the floor, twiddling her thumbs… Deciding to occupy herself with something rather than nothing would be a _great_ idea—to focus on aspects besides that giant idiot in the room, with the red clothes and ruffled hair…and those masculine features she remembered though couldn't see from here—and why wouldn't he look back at her? She grabbed his haori thrown over a chair and the needle on the corner table; where Fuu for unknown reasons began to sew some tatters from the more recent battle he had. Red string threaded through a loop, again and again… Maybe she just wished to be busy.

Nevertheless, she continued to watch him. It was such a strange thing to see him watch the outside, his chin leaning against his palm. _So calm and humane_. He didn't seem like an individual to get lost in thought. Then again, she didn't consider herself _an individual to get lost in thoughts revolving around him_… But…

Unexpectedly, she pricked herself with the sharp end of the sewing utensil…

"Ouch…"

That caused Mugen to turn his head for the first time, seeing the blood form on the tip of her pointer finger. The naïve girl thought he'd walk over to her, hand her a bandage…a cloth to wipe her finger like he did at the restaurant…

Maybe even lick the wound_. _

To that, Fuu mentally punched herself. Instead, Mugen looked at her hand, then to her lopsided smile. He only rolled his eyes, looked back outside to the dwindling commerce of Nagoya and said quite sarcastically, "I didn't _ask_ you to sew it."

But…she'd always sewn his clothes on their old journey and even the time in the fall when he'd gotten badly cut up in Fukui. Fuu stuck her own finger against her lips with a pout, reluctantly tasting the disdainful copper and metallic flavor.

"I was only-"

"Just leave it alone…dumb broad."

Not another word was shared between them for the remainder of the evening.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _This chapter was actually waaaay longer. And it originally had three parts… But, I cut the original ending of this off and made an entirely new chapter. So technically it has 4 parts now… I really wanted my writing to breathe, especially since the conversation in the next chapter is very…let's say… full of animosity. It wasn't something I wanted to rush into an ending. So, I hope you will all enjoy the next chapter as well._

_I honestly debated whether or not to include this portion of the story. But after one of my reviewers _**AdaraLove **_gave me inspiration after saying she wanted to witness a jealous Mugen, I decided to do it. That will also come with the next._

**Machiya- **old style wooden Japanese buildings that housed merchants in cities. The fronts have wooden lattices, and the second floors were usually made out of earthy material rather than wood. Obviously you can imagine them, since every city that they visited in the anime had machiya buildings all over the place.

**Yutaka Izanagi- **His first name means "male who invites" and is also derived from the mythical Shinto God Izanagi who fathered the islands of Japan. His surname, "Yutaka" can mean many things depending on the kanji. I was intending for "rich" or "prosperous" as well as "affluence" which means having money too. Reason's being, he invites Fuu on this date, and doesn't seem like a bad guy at all. To Mugen, it also appears he can provide for a woman, unlike he can.

**Yakisoba-** fried noodles like Chinese chow mein. It wasn't invented until the 20th century, but it fits with the Champloo mash-up of history.

**About sake-** Hot sake originally was meant to be served in the winter (it's winter in this chapter). **Tokkuri- **the serving bottle used to pour sake **Choko-** the wooden cup that sake is poured in from the tokkuri. Mugen doesn't bother using it.

**The Three Girls: Kiku, Umiko and Yuki- **Kiku can mean "to listen" but I was going for its other meaning "chrysanthemum" which is a type of flower. Umiko means "child of the sea". Yuki means "snow". They're all beautiful nature representations…but all the names sound similar on purpose. Mugen can't remember who is who.

_Now, for a skit!_

Me: Heyyyyyy…

Mugen: Took ya long enough to make an update.

Me:…Shhh…I was hoping no one noticed my absence...

Mugen: Oh, they noticed alright. People were walking around with pitchforks and torches looking for you…

Me: Really?!

Mugen: Nope.

Me: Tch…Well anyway, how are you today?

Mugen: …Couldn't be better.

Me: Really?

Mugen: Yup.

Me: You sure?

Mugen: Pretty damn sure.

Me: Uh huh.

….

Me: …You're not good at lying. I'm telling Fuu you're jealous. *runs off*

Mugen: W-wait what?! O-OI! GET BACK HERE WOMAN!

_I hope that you guys enjoyed. It's been so long XD Though, I admit that it's not a very good chapter considering how long you guys waited. But there's more to come with the next! _

_And as always drop a review for the return of this long lost Fuugen story(?) Tell me your guy's opinions, if you're happy with the update or the revisions for all the other chapters, if any can spot the changes I made, questions, anything ^^ Or just if you want me to get off my lazy procrastinating ass and update lol. I love you all, and the next chapter will be up waaay sooner since it actually was the ending to this chapter anyway. _

_**End of Chapter 20**_


	23. Chapter 21 Affinity to Acrimony

_**Chapter 21 Affinity to Acrimony **_

{Original Title- Hate, More Hate, and Something Else}

[A/N]: _Jeshfou43gfuyqgruoqhgf. (I wonder if anyone noticed that that's not a Japanese greeting. It's just me keyboard smashing…)_

_The chapter title could have a double meaning. Affinity can mean a likeness to something. So, Mugen has an affinity to bitterness; bitterness is what acrimony means. But, affinity can also mean an attraction to something. So it could mean Mugen went from being attracted to Fuu…to feeling bitter about those same feelings. Something to think about._

_I honestly hope Mugen didn't come out as too harsh in this chapter. O.o Less environment description in this one and much more dialogue. Angst galore._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Nor do I ever expect to because that would be Heaven on Earth and I already know I'm probably goin' ta' Hell with Mugen.

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 21 Affinity to Acrimony<span> **_

Mornings of pastel suns always proved uneventful for the two, like many before. And maybe, if this wintry sunrise had stayed that way—_boring_— by the time of mid-afternoon, it would've been for the best. For them…conflict always arose.

Standing in front of a brass full-length mirror, Fuu now made poses and expressive faces at her reflection for any type of positive validation. She turned once, then twice in the inn's provided mirror—double checking if her kimono remained straight—even gave a little twirl to make the sleeves flow in the same way sakura fell in the gusts of spring. Spring no doubt, was longed for. But that was a long way from now. While it was true this was the same tri-colored outfit of pink, red and blue they wore on their entire journey for Jin so far, Fuu didn't get much time to check out her figure.

Every little while she would sneak a peek in back of her own image through that mirror… There, Mugen's reverse likeness rested with hands behind his head and one knee propped up. She mostly looked behind her to see if he was checking her out.

No surprise there that the male hadn't even eyed her _once_…

Primping sleek locks a dozen different ways, the girl finally decided—with nothing short of vexation—on just wearing it in a trademark ponytail anyway. A final toss of her cocoa tresses she gave. Then she spun around to face the lanky vagabond.

The goal?

…To get him to look up _at least once_.

"Do I look okay?" Hands stiffened upon two hips as her sharp eyebrows rose. He_ of course _feigned sleep. Until, she cleared her throat and impatiently stamped a foot.

Merely a single eye opened briefly; it closed again just as quickly.

Without any fluctuation in the tone, he stated "You look the same." The man just couldn't understand what became so special to fuss over herself more than necessary...Women already spent way too much goddamn time in the mirror as it is, in _his_ crude opinion.

"Well _thanks_…jerk." she made sure he could hear the last word.

"Hey, just bein' honest."

Something on her temple pounded… Certainly Fuu expected a remark such as that one. On the other hand, just once Fuu wanted Mugen to _notice_; maybe to say a little compliment or address some concern. Which, it was quite plainly obvious these were things he never did and never would do.

"So, we gonna start searchin' 'round for ol' Four-Eyes today or what?" referring to Jin, Mugen asked. This, Fuu found rather odd, since usually _she'd _be the one hulling him around to find the samurai with unknown whereabouts.

"Actually…I have other plans."

Very quickly did the female catch how his mouth hung open, taken aback, another sentence about to be formed… Though, he only gave another brief response. "Fine._ Whatever_."

She made sure to then boast with a small twitch of the mouth, hopefully to gain some type of reaction out of him. _Like jealousy._ But why would he be jealous over_ her_ date? And why…did she bother to fall into this trap, to try to make him upset; the same man that did little besides try to piss _her_ off anyway? "Well, in case you were wondering_ where_ I'm going, I have a date with a nice and sensible man who's polite and sweet…_unlike you_."

"I didn't ask, and I wasn't wonderin'."

The snow fell quietly as it met the ground, unlike the assiduous patters of rain also in the spring like the sakura blossoms, which only served to amplify the distressing silence after each concise phrase.

Unpredictably, Mugen began yet again. This time, with a question. He'd rolled over on his left side, began inspecting both the female and the words. "…Your date…is he the same chump you were hangin' with yesterday?"

"If he _is_?" …sounded like a challenge.

He frowned—which this time she missed—as he'd promptly turned, beginning to repeatedly fidget an urging leg back and forth that refused to sit still. "Damn, the poor guy doesn't know what he's in for. Ms. Fatty Flatty Bitch over here is gonna drive him to the point of committing_ seppuku_ after two dates."

"What the hell did you just call me?! You ASS!"

"Nothing you're not. Just being honest, as always."

"…You know, talking to you is a waste of time when there are nicer guys out there who actually _appreciate_ real beauty when they see it." There seemed to be a restrained laugh _definitely _coming from the sloppy body lounging along the floor. This infuriated the girl further, just like most of his teasing. "And I'm going to be late because of you!" To that sentence, Mugen suddenly jumped to a standing position and headed to the door first. "Wait…Where are _you_ going?"

"Listening to you is gonna make my ears bleed. And, I got a date a' my own."

"D-date?" she practically squeaked out.

"Yup. Things to see, and people to do." He said so…_too_ nonchalantly.

'_Of course.'_ "You're so _disgusting_."

Assuming he'd already left…she returned to her handy mirror, newly moping into the reflective clearness.

Bating that, the mirror image propped in front of her…suddenly revealed the tall individual with the mess of black hair just directly behind her. The oblivious woman almost gasped aloud while turning. Though, his dead set gaze didn't waver away from her coffee eyes. "…You think _your _date is any different?"

"He is! Izanagi's gentle, kind, cute, and is showing a performance for the town! I mean, he's popular with the girls but he's not a-"

Moving to her right, away from the mirror—away from his intimidating gaze and imposing figure—she stood alongside the wall. While, her back turned entirely on the infuriating man as her fingers fumbled to hold the kanzashi sticks adorned with a single red bead on one and two on the other. Long ago when her mother first bought the hairpins, each, as expected contained two beads… One of the jewels had come loose long prior to Fuu having even met Mugen and Jin in the teahouse. As a child, she'd cried for days on end about it: over one silly little bead. It was even surprising to her that she managed to keep these same hairpins all those years…even with the scarlet orb out of four missing. _Maybe three had always been her lucky number after all._

"He ain't lookin' for a girlfriend. Guys like that want one thing from a girl. He buys ya dinner, sleeps with ya, throws ya out like trash the next morning. It ain't any different than me payin' for some dumb bimbo at a whorehouse."

Still not turning back to him, she bowed her neck slightly while sticking the golden painted pins between the messy bun and hair tie. "It _is_ different! _He's_ different. _Whatever_, just leave with your whores then!"

Mugen scoffed. "I am."

Again, she was sure he'd left… Yet, for the second time, she only heard a few footsteps dissolve… Mugen had stopped at the doorway, bracing a palm against the wood paneled door layered in thin, white paper.

"…I was actually headin' out to look for a job today…"

This…just like him wanting to find Jin, perplexed his companion…

"Hah!_ Yeah_ _right_. There's two places me and Jin always would look to find you before, Mugen. A brothel or a gambler's den. So if it really is work, I'm assuming the latter."

"It ain't like _you're_ workin' right now. You're just getting a free meal." That statement went ignored by his fellow traveler. So the much scarier male compared to Izanagi paced ever closer to the girl in pink once more. "So, _what_, you're gonna go on some stupid frickin' date and let this guy _feel you up_ after as payment for the free food?" the voice spoke solemnly, looping its vagueness around the room like a choking coil.

Head raised, eyebrows furling and mouth twisting downward, she finally turned around. Fuu's back was but a foot away from the wall. "Wha- How could you say that?! It's _weird_."

He backed away, "Fine. Don't believe me. If you lose your virginity to some dumbass whose gonna take advantage of you, it ain't my problem then. Just keep in mind that we hafta leave Nagoya sometime soon."

"He would _never_-"

"Then what are you plannin' on doin' with that _boy_? We ain't… _I'm_ not staying in this city for long."

Fuu managed to snap words out, "I'll do anything I feel like doing. If I want to…be with him, I will. If I don't, I don't. And if I plan to stay in Nagoya, I will!" nonetheless…with a small stutter of hesitation.

It thus dawned on the ryukyuan that maybe, Fuu really was serious about this guy with her blind girly, stupid, _ridiculous_ infatuation. In this day and age, it wasn't uncommon for couples to marry with extremely short notice…there were even arranged marriages in some families; this, the drifter knew of. Sure, her date looked like he had money, was not bad or anything from what he'd seen. He could probably provide for her and she'd be able to depend on him. Not to mention, Izanagi was popular in the community, had talents not related to killing and was really…really…

_Normal… _

…So what though?! She barely knew the guy and this was_ Fuu_. The same girl never settled for any guy on their travels, never clung that desperately to _anyone_ (unless counting him and Jin but that was much, much different). In truth there was a first time for everything…it was also the first time he was concerned whether or not they'd actually finish this journey.

"So you're just gonna forget Four-Eyes and m-...the journey? You're just gonna end it right here, right now 'cause you're all head over heels?!" Now Mugen's voice raised.

Here Mugen was: a complete womanizer now acting like he was her keeper who could dictate where she went at what time?! _'Obviously, Mugen isn't interested in me so why does it matter?!'_

"I'm _not_ head over heels. And I don't see why you're so concerned whether or not we keep going! Stop acting like you're my parent or my… Just _stop_. It's not like you ever cared before. And lastly, me and him are only spending time together!" Mugen barely seemed convinced as she continued to go on. "UGH, you are so ridiculous! A-and heartless! Izanagi would never try to take advantage of me. He's got morality and he's sweet; again, unlike _you_!"

"…'Least, I never planned on datin' ya and then rapin' ya."

_That did it._

Mirror, date, the wall, her hairpins and any other thought forgotten, attention directly set instead on the big bad wolf whose glinting mischief in the eye made Fuu believe that he enjoyed this argument. Well, _she wasn't enjoying it_. In fact, it stung. It stung that he was saying no man could ever enjoy her company unless they were using her for one thing: _one_ feminine asset.

"Who knows, maybe you probably _were_ planning on it when we first met! You're just saying all these bad things about Izanagi because that's how YOU are! You're_ sick_, unlike Izanagi _and_ Jin!" Fuu wanted Mugen to know what it felt like when someone said offensive things like that, wanted him to _feel_ that stinging sensation. Of course, Fuu didn't fully mean it…and she wondered if anything could ever _really_ affect someone…someone like him. _So immune to jaggedly edged words._

"Oh really. Well I-"

Though as the sentences were released relentlessly, one harsh stab after the next, it seemed Mugen's tan color altogether paled over... "No one would bother dating you, besides that one ninja girl a few cities back who was_ completely_ delusional. Men like _you_ are dangerous, and all they really want from women is one thing! Not all men are like that…but the ones like _you_ can't love anything or anyone. Can't even be_ compatible _with anyone. They never help out people of their own free will or care about others either; they don't even bother to remember the only people who ever cared for them! Everything about you is just plain horrible. Besides, who'd bother falling for a guy with no money, no job, no home, no family, no morals and who only knows how to fight like some IDIOT barbarian anyway?! All you are Mugen, is SELFISH and-"

A line had just been crossed, a very thick line bolded in heavy, black paint. And she crossed it. She knew she did. She shouldn't have…

"Fuck you."

This was more than anger, for the response seeped out past his lips…coldly…and lifeless. It hung through the air around them equally—much too grave and overbearing—as Fuu swore she could feel the pressure of the curse pushing down upon her shoulders until she would sink onto the rice-straw carpet below. He didn't hesitate to turn around and retreat to the exit again.

Fuu had sounded so shallow…when in fact, she never cared if a man had money and status or not.

"…I…I didn't-" she began before he could leave, hoping for any chance to…apologize.

Just as they both believed he'd finally depart, the vagrant appeared for the _third_ time in front of her.

"_I'm _selfish?"

Adamant as they were, a pair of large hands crashed flat against the wall right on each side of the astonished Fuu.

Though, she didn't scream as the loud thud of his hands hit the wall behind and above her shoulders. She didn't even _flinch_. These factors immured Fuu from retreat; the plaster cold on her back, the well-built arms on each side of her head, and finally Mugen directly in front of her, _challenging_ her. Hell, she asked for it. The girl's doe-eyed fixation opened fully, meeting his narrowing one head on. More than anything, Fuu was pinned, yet still…strangely undaunted by their close proximity.

This was far more than simple, trivial anger. Mugen became livid; his grimly gape thoroughly scrutinizing the shriveling sight of the young woman with a boiling concoction of disgust. Maybe something else. "Think you're so goddamn special, don't you. So _self-righteous_, like I'm some nasty demon and you're Miss _Prim_ _and Perfect_." He loomed over her...testing her...

"No, I didn't-"

"I bet your new boyfriend is just like Four-Eyes huh; your new personal doormat that doesn't have one damn flaw. And me, I've always been the _worst piece of shit_ in all'a Japan. Well, I'm sorry that I never had a family! I ain't got a frickin' story about some sunflower samurai. Never even knew my father. Sorry that I had to fuckin' kill people since I was a kid to survive, that I starved everyday in the Ryukyu's and that it's hard findin' jobs now when barely anyone hires people with TATTOOS like these!" One inked wrist moved to her face. _Marked as a criminal forever._ Being so close, Fuu could feel his scorching breaths directly upon her cheeks.

It pissed him off how she didn't twist her face to the side, how she just_ stared_ up at him like that…like she wasn't terrified of what he could easily _do_ to her against this same wall.

"Wait, I-" again, furthering on to give an apology.

Mugen wouldn't allow the words to surface. "Sorry that I don't romanticize bullshit, and pretend to be someone I'm not! Sorry that this idiot barbarian is the same guy who protected your ass with no reward! Sorry I ain't like you're little _boy-toy_ who just wants you for one thing anyway or you're honorable samurai asshole who barely bothered protectin' ya! SORRY ABOUT THAT!" Spit unintentionally spouted from the feral man's jaws as he screamed at her.

Still, she didn't recoil or give in. "Stop it…"

"Did ya ever bother to wonder why I can't be compatible with anyone or why I never bother to get close? People lied to me, betrayed me. I was fucked over too many goddamn times by people I was supposed ta' trust. Lettin' people in just gets yourself hurt… And if ain't me gettin' hurt…then…it's everybody else that does. The one's that shouldn't get hurt always do."

All she did was watch him, softly and gently, like her eyes were so soft that they could possibly heal him…and her words were to be the most soothing things his tainted self was ever blessed with the chance to hear. He didn't want to hear her, nor realize the cruel truth that the curtains making up his mind forced him to only see her. _Always._

Only this brat could piss him off so badly, say things that made him feel like he was the most worthless piece of shit in the world. Then all she had to do was give him _that look_, like it didn't matter if he was a bad person even after saying all that.

"And you…you're just…" Instead of yelling more, his fingers placed flat upon the inn's walls to the sides of the brunette's head clenched into fists. Until, he finally pushed himself away from her figure entirely.

He laughed.

Then he turned away.

"Even now, after all the shit we've been through… That's still what you think of me, huh? Well, I can't _wait_ 'till you open your blind little eyes and see how cruel the rest of the world is. But maybe you're right, I _am_ horrible. I can be an evil son of a bitch and I got plenty of fucking reasons to be." He stopped as she was still silent, pressed against the painted wood with her gaze finally meeting the ground. Almost, as if she were ashamed. He couldn't see that, as his back remained the only thing greeting her, reluctant to face the woman again. "You're _lucky_ you never saw that side of me, even _LUCKIER_ I never took advantage of you, not like I'd bother! No body, no personality, you've got NOTHING I'D EVER WANT! But I sailed with some sick people back in the day, and they would've _hurt_ you without thinkin' twice."

He didn't even know he admitted things… The big bad ol' Mugen...was offended. For a moment, Fuu felt like she understood everything as if for the first time, even though she always figured: why he was so angered, why he didn't want her to go…why he always rescued her.

"Mugen, I didn't mean any of that! Please, listen!" Without cognitive intention registering, the falsely hoping girl reached to grab the arm of the same man who refused to rotate back around. To that, Mugen viciously ripped her flimsy grasp away.

"Yeah ya did mean it, girl! Just touching my arm must make you feel _sick_, huh. Don't bother sayin' shit you don't mean!" Fuu thought his voice cracked when he said that.

"You're one to talk! You're always rude to me for no reason and you were asking for it by taunting me about Izanagi! Why…why do you always have to be like this?"

"How the fuck do you want me to be?!" Finally he turned, caught right into her entrancing stare.

"You could've said it nicer…Or- or not even _insinuate _that the _one _boy who bothered to ask me on a date only wants sex from me… Not every guy out there is terrible. And even if you say you are, I know _you're_ not! Because, guess what Mugen? I get it now!"

"Oh I bet you do, you dumb bitch! Like you get _EVERYTHING_!"

"YOU _DO_ CARE!"

_That shut him up real quick._

Therefore she decided rather fast to test the dangerously deep waters. She took a cautious step forward.

"You care about me. That's it, isn't it?" It wasn't really asked, as her tone remained so sure, _so self-convinced_. A noise craning between a snort and a choke came forth, and neither could comprehend what Mugen'd actually meant it to be. Then another perfectly measured, flawlessly paced step she took. "You always run away from me, and then you come right back. You avoid me when I try to be nice to you…or when I talk about your past, like you don't believe _anyone _should accept you for who you are or what you've done." Breathing turned heavy as this woman approached, each gulp for oxygen sharper and more pained than the last. The usually undeterred ex-pirate felt he was being suffocated by each sentence.

This all just _wasn't_ him…but then why did these statements seem so undeniably true?

"You saved me more times than I can remember on our last journey and even now. And just like you said, not once have you physically hurt me…though I can say a lot less for the verbal and emotional count."

Mugen's weathered, tired gaze began drifting this way, then that way—to _anywhere, to anything_. First it met the window pane encrusted in melting flakes, the damn mirror that previously took up all her attention, the ceiling, and finally to his own grimy feet.

His mind wanted him to look back. To_ see_ _her _there, see her for what she was, _what she always was to him_; an innocent, stupid and naïve girl with dreamy, _pathetic_ notions that an ex-criminal could become good and compassionate at the flip of a coin. Literally.

This wasn't something to be discussed. These two opposite aspects shouldn't and weren't ever meant to mingle and twist; Mugen repelled the word "caring" like a filmy coat of oil resting upon placid water.

He realized now that Fuu didn't _actually _think he was bad person. All that false criticizing worked only to unveil the real truth in the matter. It showcased how truly _evil _he_ was_ and how _pure_ Fuu_ is_.

If she thought he wasn't really the worst kind of human being,_ she was wrong_.

The girl didn't fully grasp all the buried reasons why he was so infuriated. Maybe he didn't either. It was better this way, wherein neither could pinpoint the source of this sudden fury and unease between the two travelers.

Still, her voice broke away his thoughts as they continued tenderly, her steps towards him continuing. "And you just said it. You admitted it. You never get close to anyone because they'll betray you. And if they don't, you end up getting _them_ hurt. You're talking about me, aren't you? _I'm_ the one you're afraid that will get hurt...by or because of you."

"I think your givin' yourself way too much damn credit." His tone too softened by a notch…it was enough to relax her heart. She approached even more as he continued to stare at his toes.

"No. You don't want to say it; in fact, I don't even think you know _how_ to say you care. But I think you're worried about me going with this Izanagi guy! And I think…_you_ think no one cares about _you_."

"No one ever did."

"But I do. _I care_."

Mugen looked up rather quickly. She said it; she said the thing he was trying so hard to avoid and he wanted to cover his ears.

"So for once…can we stop arguing?" As the young woman stood just a foot away from him after her fourth step, Mugen likewise pulled back for the fourth time. "Is it that hard for you to just…be nice for once, Mugen? I mean, I appreciate the concern and all but-"

"I never asked you to care about me, alright?! So if you want someone to care about _you_, ask Four-Eyes. O-or your new boy-toy, Iza- whatever the fuck his name is. Not me."

Fuu smiled. "You already _do_ care though."

Something plummeted in his gut.

"I thought I made this pretty damn loud and clear before, girlie. You're over thinking it. You keep forgettin' that it ain't me who's clinging onto you. You followed _me_. You wanted _my_ help to find Four-Eyes. _I_ don't owe_ you_. An' it's not like I ever cared if we just stopped looking. Besides, we don't even know if we'll find Jin. Hell, he really could be dead by now. So maybe we should give it all up. We never were meant to keep traveling blindly like this." He sounded convincing enough, even to himself...

Finally, her steps taken were kept at bay as they rooted to that specific tatami panel below. She didn't make another effort to approach him; he was glad for that very thing.

Strangely to both of them instead, he approached. As always Fuu made no movement to shy away. Fuu looked so sad… Was it because she was upset that they'd never find Jin…or because she really wanted Mugen to care? He honestly couldn't differentiate it.

Their gazes locked in another contradicting mess of emotion… She didn't move and after he'd shortened the distance between them so several inches were merely left, neither did he. They didn't blink…couldn't.

All he needed to do was look down into her eyes, and he sort of _knew_. Because, he remembered that look from years ago too.

* * *

><p><em>The night, cold and dark surrounds them, alone together…the broken trio on their search for the samurai who smells of sunflowers: Fuu's father. Jin they presume is truly...dead after seeing Mugen fight the skilled Sara. <em>

_The cleaned gash on his stomach continues to ache, though he releases no such complaint. Fuu bandaged it and would want to check on it if he so much as winced. Reasons concealed, he wants her to stay away, as far from him as possible. _

_And Mugen…he doesn't want to…but he does realize certain things as he sits against a pile of stacked bales of hay. Alas he doesn't say it aloud… If it weren't for Fuu intervening, Sara surely would've cut the thread on his short life without any hesitation. _

_As they share the small hut, and the warm fire…and the silence, she begins with one small phrase. "…You know what? …Let's call it quits…" _

"_Huh?" Mugen observes her in the peace of the moment, somewhat confused and anxious… To call what quits, the search for the samurai who smells of sunflowers? After all that they'd endured? Is it because Jin's gone?_

_Fuu continues to stare blankly out the small open window shutter, to see things she barely makes out: the stark outline of a fir tree, a bright full moon not yet consumed… The crickets and beetles sing songs that are much too unfitting. They're too beautiful for the hell that occurred the night before._

"_It's just…if I lost you, I don't know what I'd do…" _

_There, Mugen realizes she's referring to him fighting the blind woman…and looking if Jin remains alive. But he made a promise that he'd be the one to kill him; not Sara or any other damn assassin the government sends their way. Even if Fuu could accept Jin's death, he couldn't. He has a feeling the ronin would show his face eventually._

_He doesn't exactly know what to say to that sentence of hers though…doesn't want to fully comprehend what she means. If it had been Mugen who was killed instead of Jin, Fuu'd probably say the same thing to the ronin about him… And for some odd reason, he doesn't feel settled with that thought of her saying those same words to Jin._

_So the wounded warrior changes the subject, refusing entirely to address the growing lack of air in the one-roomed shack. Too much tension…too much indecisiveness…Too much they don't understand about each other. "That blind chick…"_

_Fuu for the first time after the sun fell from heaven, looks away from the resurrected full moon. Her eyes are pained. "Eh?"_

"_She was pretty intense but I didn't get the feeling that she wanted to kill me. Still… that bitch just might be able to take me." he says casually, even sadistically happy that someone is able to defeat him...as the ceiling above draws more attention than the girl just in front of him... She's staring at him...he feels it. So he looks straight ahead...sees her watching him and nothing else. He almost has the impulse to say something rude to have the stare break. _

_Something—he blames it on the way their little fire burns—makes the look in her eyes appear saddened. Fuu almost looks like she's going to cry for him…again. Mugen holds that stare for just a second, then releases it. _

_He knows she hasn't looked away yet._

* * *

><p>Just like back when she was fifteen and him twenty, it wasn't only because she was terrified that they wouldn't find Jin that upset her. It wasn't just because Mugen pretended that he never once cared for her.<p>

Fuu thought Mugen didn't believe she truly cared and worried for _him_. He didn't want her to care at all.

"…Have fun with your date." The vagrant departed after that, leaving Fuu to remain standing there, mortified in place.

Her feet were doused in layers of cement.

He always was leaving…one of these days, he may decide not to come back.

As the thumps of clog followed by another clog drifted its impassioned sound down the hall and out of the building, ceasing in finality, Fuu rotated back to the brass mirror. What Fuu saw as she looked over the side of her left shoulder in the same posture as that painting she'd modeled for, was that her reflection didn't give the image she expected. The Backward's Beauty held a few dabbles of fluid plaguing the corners of her eyes. These trails of saltwater slipped reluctantly past her lower lashes.

_And they stung._

* * *

><p>On the way out, the heaving vagabond passed a man slightly younger than himself standing outside; he wore some pretty nice clothes to boot and carried a single flower wrapped up in a fancy ribbon. Even in the winter's unforgiving cold, its white petals stood resolute. Izanagi smiled confidently to the<em> familiar<em> man leaving the inn. In return, Mugen must've flashed him the dirtiest look in the world, a death glare capable of making one's spiritual essence depart from the physical body; considering the way the young man shied back…

"G-good afternoon." The younger bowed to some extent, tense gawk meeting the ground.

Shortly after, Mugen turned his head and left with nothing more than an incensed sneer.

As for the female that Izanagi expected, she correspondingly exited not long afterwards_. 'Do Fuu and that weirdo know each other? Sure seemed like that at the restaurant…' _He suspiciously watched as the woman solemnly took baby steps down the stairs of the inn. "Is…is something wrong Fuu-chan?"

The shimmering brown orbs widened, where she quickly rubbed at them, as if she'd hadn't done it thoroughly enough already. "Wrong? Uh no, no! Shall we go?"

Izanagi held out his arm to her. Much to his disappointment, she avoided linking hers with his and instead reached for the lone flower. "Is this for me?"

"Of course! A beautiful wind-flower for a beautiful girl like the wind." Fuu found this…a bit embarrassing. "Even if its winter, this spring bloomer sprung up too early, just like you not wearing something over that kimono. I paid a lot to the florist since it's so rare and she didn't want to sell it."

Only a slight smile she gave as they began a stroll, the female drifting away from the stories he spoke of and the descriptions always centered on _his_ life. So unlike Mugen…who never revealed much of his past.

Finally, a question made her snap back to reality. "You said you traveled abroad, correct?"

"Mmhmm."

"And you traveled with a doushebag…" Her date, grinned with all teeth revealed, "Care to elaborate on that? Bad relationship?"

"Uh… Bad in the regard that they never helped me with virtually _anything_." she stated in annoyance.

"…They?"

The Backward's Beauty model nodded to her spectator, raising two fingers to emphasize the number. "Yup. Two men. But _don't_ get the wrong idea. They were my idiot bodyguards and were equally undependable… I'm…Well, I'm actually searching for one of them. That's why I'm traveling. Speaking of which, his name is Jin, and he's a ronin… Ummm, wears glasses, long black hair…probably has gray clothes…really quiet. Sound familiar?"

"Not really. I know most of the higher class samurai families in this city. But a lot of travelers do come through. Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

"I see…"

Even with the most nervous of smiles creeping its way up, or that irksome feeling rippling into her chest, off she went with Izanagi at her side. More than momentarily did Fuu ponder if ex-pirates as tough as dried seaweed and as cruel as the tides of the harsh sea…could actually be offended by an innocent, _little piece of nothing's _words.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _A lot of you guys wanted a jealous Mugen…SO, was it how you wanted it? Too angsty I realize. But let me know!_

_Damn, that got just a little bit too heated and confusing between Mugen and Fuu… It's obvious he cares. But what Fuu and Mugen both don't get, is that Mugen is jealous, feels inferior to others solely because of his lifestyle, financial state and that he can do little to ever provide for a woman. His only superiority to anyone is his sword skills and now Fuu basically said that that's all he's capable of. They've both been suppressing their feelings for far too long (for plenty of reasons). But still, he doesn't want her going with this guy Izanagi and his excuse is because he thinks every man will hurt her(and he actually states without realizing, that he believes he too will get her hurt). Still, Mugen can't admit he cares though because she directly attacks what he always considered his identity: that is called emotional dissonance. He's worried and a bit…possessive. Fuu doesn't understand since Mugen can't even show concern the right way._ _And when she says those nasty things, Mugen starts to realize that he's (supposedly) not good enough for her and he can't just shake away his developing feelings for the same woman he continuously denied being attracted to anymore. _

_When she apologizes…Mugen actually wants her to believe he is evil…because then he won't keep getting closer and closer, and develop even stronger feelings (which he also won't admit he already has). And maybe, Mugen is afraid that she will love him. It's something he never felt._

_They are finally, FINALLY admitting to their feelings for each other (internally)._

_The flashback scene is Episode 21 Elegy of Entrapment Part 2. It's very brief and subtle, and takes place after Fuu jumped to save Mugen's life from Sara the blind assassin… I used the English dialogue rather than the Japanese since my DVD subtitle translation isn't completely accurate and she may have said it pretty romantic in Japanese but I wanted to play it safe. In English, it came off as pretty romantic to me. Gah…I hate the animation quality of this ep lol. Mugen looked so weird in that scene XP But, Fuu still told him she loved him in more or less words XD_

**Sakura**- Cherry blossom. The pink flowers come out in spring for only a few weeks so they're quite a spectacle. People even have cherry blossom viewings, getting drunk and eating food in the areas that harbor great numbers of the trees.

**Seppuku**- Japanese ritual suicide, entailing the disembowelment of one's self by cutting the stomach side to side horizontally

**Anemone**- these white flowers with yellow centers are also sometimes referred to as "windflowers". It's befitting for Fuu since the translation to her name means "wind". In Japanese "hatakotaba" or flower language, anemone means "sincerity". So he's sincere of his interest in Fuu…at least that's what Mugen is starting to believe.

Fuu: *giggling with Izanagi* That's hilarious! Do you have any other stories to tell?

Izanagi: Plenty, if you want to hear them.

Mugen: *watching them from behind the corner of a building* ...Stupid bitch…

Me: *creeps up behind Mugen* …Soooo, you jelly bro?

Mugen: *jumps in surprise* Wh-where the hell did you come from?! And what the hell does that mean?!

Me: Don't play stupid! You're jealous of-

Mugen: Who, myself? I'm pretty sure I can't be jealous a' my own devilishly good looks. *strokes chin and proceeds to walk away*

Me: Mugen, where are you going?! Aren't you supposed to keep following her? MUGEN! ...Damn, I'm starting to feel _and_ sound like Fuu.

_Follow/Fav and/or Review XD Gimme some feedback or your thoughts on these chappies ^^ One lil' comment can go a long way to make or break my day. _

_**End of Chapter 21**_


	24. Chapter 22 Fortune's Facade

_**Chapter 22 Fortune's Façade**_

{Original Title: Good Ol' Competition}

[A/N]: _Wakarenaikedou mooooou! ...Eh? EH?! Back for another chapter?! ^^_

**Reference-** Despite being winter in the chapters ahead, Nagoya is considered to have a sub-tropic climate. Average highs in January are 48.2 Fahrenheit while average lows are 33.4 Fahrenheit. In my story, the snow is more slushy. This is then plausible why Mugen wears shorts while Fuu has just a kimono with a juban underneath. They're cold but they won't freeze.

**Another Reference**- the festival being depicted is Hatsu-Ebisu on January 5. The purpose is to seek good fortune in the New Year from Ebisu, the Shinto God of fortune. (Ahem, look at the chapter title). It is being held in the town square in front of the very real Atsuta Shrine (not sure if there really is a town square but it looks like there's a large concrete opening in pictures). The entire city of Nagoya was originally built around said temple.

_I may start responding to some guest reviewers who have questions or things to say in author's notes. But it's a hassle since it adds a huge word count. So in future revisions I'm going to be deleting these "thank you's". Make accounts so I can respond to reviews in PMs if you want. Anyway:_

_To __**guest reviewer Jade**__, thanks so much for saying I should be a published author! It's something I would really love getting into for a career…and I still have no idea what I'll be doing for college (I'm sixteen years old atm lol). One of the main things I enjoy doing is writing…doubt I'll be able to make a living out of that though…sigh… And yes, I'll continue this fanfiction until its completion (unless I die somehow. Even then my ghost will haunt the world until it finds a computer to type on. Isn't that scary to think about? How many fanfictions were only canceled because the author died? o.o) _

_To __**guest reviewer laura**__, thank you, glad you enjoyed! I always felt like there is so much Mugen buries inside as a character. I wanted to express that with the last chapter. And don't worry; your English is really good! Don't ever be embarrassed! Hell, I have errors all the time! Just keep reading and writing and you'll keep getting better and better ^^ _

_For all the guest reviewers in the past that I never had the chance to respond to, I'm so sorry __ It's just so much to include each chapter. But thank you everyone for everything! Keep it comin' people and my heart will soar ever higher XD_

_Now, this is the THIRD part of this set of four. Her second date. …Gah… Did I set the bar too high for myself with that last chapter? O.o _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Raise your hand if you've wanted to own it but know with realistic sadness that you can't! (I suddenly sprout fifty hands out of the sides of my body like some twisted sci-fi movie and raise them ALL.)

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 22 Fortune's Facade<strong>_

Following another midday meal, Izanagi and Fuu had gone to the very center of the frost layered city where an opening in the urban environment came into view; the Hatsu-Ebisu commemoration went into full swing. Dozens upon dozens of townsfolk filled in the boxed zone, the entire setup sitting in front of a timeworn temple overshadowed by the multihued festivities. At the time, the street performer instructed Fuu to wait while he prepared the break-dancing show.

Instead, her feet began wandering on their own accord.

The floods of people, young and old moved like the rolling waves of the sea—in unity—guiding her across the structured rows of stands… Every vendor Fuu passed, she saw zilch worth spending her last few coins on; not even on the seasonal candies her inner sweet tooth craved. It was more amusing to just watch what everybody else did. Shinto priestesses wrapped cozily in their white kimonos and red hakama strolled in a single file line, the many onlookers smiling and pointing to the unrivaled gracefulness of their steps. Far past the shopping portion, skilled artisans perfected mounds of snow as well as ice blocks into recognizable figures. The whole Owari province was warm even while the annual snowfall turned out higher than usual. Therefore, some several tons of snow and ice were shipped from up north in Hokkaido to the southern cities for festivity plans.

With vigor certainly _radiated _from the vociferous commotion of the revelers, she couldn't figure out why she felt this...dejected… All by her lonesome.

Being an_ individual_ in these vivid crowds—where neighbors exchanged heartfelt greetings and pleased shopkeepers welcomed their loyal regulars—it gave time to reflect more than anything, about what a traveling lifestyle could possibly bring and what lifetime goals _were_ exactly… Future plans always seemed far off for the seventeen year old. Not focusing on them now though…Fuu soon realized, would only lead to being lost later down the road; the lengthy road with its twists and turns…_and dead ends_.

Mugen had said quite seriously that they may not locate Jin. Actually…he said a lot of things.

Even if they did find him, what then?

She'd just have to keep going. Like she always had…

Just…root a foot in front of the other...

"_You child_, amidst these crowds, are looking for something."

…Her foot pegged after hearing the raspy statement.

Beside the fenced entrance to the Atsuta shrine, a puny stand came into sight, much like a tent preventing the weather from ruining the merchant's display. That supposed "merchant's" whole appearance was painted in pasty white with claret splotches just around the top corners of her drooping lids. All the makeup made her many ridges and laugh lines barely conceivable. …Laugh lines didn't seem to be the right word in this scenario, since the female was so solemn that she appeared as if she'd never laughed in her entire life! Ambiguous and strange, the wooly garments the elderly woman wore matched her grave expression: all black with a firmly tightened hood, no hair falling to outline hollowed out cheeks.

Oddly, the woman's eyes were barely open… No matter; Fuu knew that statement was directed towards her. She just knew it.

It _was_ the festival of fortune… Getting a fortune read didn't seem out of place. "Ehhhhh. A fortune teller? Wait a second…I feel like I've met you somewhere before…" Fuu leaned closer to the unusual aged crone, and she was absolutely positive this _same_ psychic had said something similar before; the oncoming wave of déjà vu caused more shivers than the climate did. "Are you _sure_ you're not some _phony_ who just uses that line for everyone?"

"…You are searching for a man."

The girl brought a pointer finger below her chin. "Maybe you're right… My friend went to set up the performance and I kind of lost track of him. Well, unless you mean…_Jin_. And that's taking_ forever_ to find him. So I doubt he'll be in these festival crowds." As Fuu spoke more to herself than anyone else, the predictor of fates began sudden inspection using a magnifying glass. "…Or do you mean…him… And I'm definitely_ not_ searching for that idiot! That bastard's always disappearing on his own! He could leave by himself and ditch our journey for all I care! Well…I hope he doesn't…"

At last, the uranai reader showed _some _form of emotion by sighing in full exasperation to the girl's incoherent rambling… Five cards were laid face down on the table.

"Eh? Uh, here. Could you read my fortune then?" Fuu dug into her kimono for any spare change (Momo instead flew out one sleeve, then back into another) until she procured a single coin—one of her last—and held it out for the taking. Releasing a gangly hand, the supposed "master of bokusen" as the rickety sign above read, snatched it away with ease. Inexpensive as the brass mon was, the strange maiden placed it far into the material of her dark robes without a complaint…where a void surely must have existed.

She beckoned to a small box filled to the brim with several long, thin sticks of wood. "I provide interpretation. Only you choose your path." the woman elucidated.

Fuu shook the container until one popped out… The kanji on it read _"sue-kichi"_: "future blessing".

Sooner than she could rejoice over the good luck, the fortune teller snatched the stick back! After breathing deeply and closing beady eyes, the same hand holding the piece of wood hovered over the five slices of paper. Humming some weird vernacular Fuu never once heard, her right palm riddled with wrinkles finally lingered over one specifically. Said card held a few pictures marking it when the elder lifted it to eye level.

"There is someone, _a man_ who is very passionate about you. And it is to _him_ that you wish to say something unspoken."

That's all the old woman said. That was literally it… She gave Fuu the card.

What did that have _anything_ to do with a future blessing, anyway?

With such an inadequate tip, it seemingly became a waste of money… "No duh… Mouuuuu. You'd think _I_ would've figured that out by now. That Izanagi guy can't take a _hint_ that I'm not interested in the same way he is! Guess I should go find him though…and speak my mind."

With no new help and her miserable disposition again reawakened, she soon departed from the eccentric lady, passing more stalls caked with white—and more people she didn't at all know personally…

Then, the girl finally looked down at the intricately ornamental card stuck in between her thumb and index. Raising it above, up to the afternoon sun, the disbelieving skeptic squinted as if there were to be some hidden message or hiragana scrawled within its surface… No writing; just a picture.

On it, a murky, _almost sinister_ silhouette of a being had been drawn… He or _it _was surrounded by a red fire, probably meant to represent power or energy…

"Passion…" In a sneer like fashion, she gave a mock-laugh; psychic readings never really helped much. _'Who is very passionate for me, the devil? Seems more like "great curse" than "future blessing"… What great luck I have with men…'_

"…_Sooooo_, where's the date?" said a sudden voice from behind. Fuu almost dropped the card.

While disregarding _Mugen_, she pouted, briskly departing from the man who almost immediately began to follow her petite tracks in the snow. "The dude left ya all alone out here, huh…"

"If he _did_, he wouldn't be much different from you, after all…" It sounded quite condescending…despite not being meant to. Actually…all she really, _truly _wanted to do was apologize for earlier, and so far, her stubborn side couldn't push the words past her tightly gritted teeth.

Maybe he wished to do the same.

Slowing the pace, they moved side by side. "But for the record, he's just preparing for the festival."

Did Mugen even_ think_ about the many things they'd said to one another earlier; how cruel it had been? ...They'd revealed much of their inner turmoil…and she'd made one too many presumptions on his feelings towards her; _if he at all cared._

"Any luck findin' Four-Eyes?"

She answered calmly, "…None at all."

In the field just past the stands, the hushed duo surveyed three children working together to build a snowman. Their teamwork didn't at all last long sadly, mainly since two boys were in disagreement over how large they should make the base snowball. Matters soon turned to what should be used for the chubby figure's nose; the tallest clarified that they ought to use a carrot since it was traditional, while the other, shorter boy argued a leek would appear more original, creating a memorable and unique style as a result. On the pair quarreled, until the third child—a little girl—grabbed them both by the ears and started yelling that they'll use neither if they kept on pointlessly arguing…

"Then there ain't a reason to stay in this frickin' province 'fer long. We've been here long enough."

"So…you want to leave?"

"You don't?"

Fuu caressed her upper arm, no doubt beginning to ice up. "I… We have nothing to go off of. And _you_ said that we should just give up on looking for Jin earlier."

"Well, if ya give up now, then I ain't lookin' for him by myself neither. I'll just head out, probably keep going west for a while… Maybe that guy you're with…maybe he's good for ya. He's got the money…and he's pretty well known 'round here." Startled after hearing such grim mentions of parting ways, the young woman finally turned to look at the monotone speaking man—previously the same man who'd hindered her to go with Izanagi.

_He was wrong! That wasn't what she wanted_!

"M-Mugen!" she inadvertently called aloud…but she wondered if he hadn't heard her over the bustling crowds…or he just ignored it. Fuu was disappointed to merely witness the visage of her bodyguard already strutting off. Another broken…perhaps _shuddering_ exhale released through the cold in a glum wisp of humid mist.

Before she could head back—reluctantly—the break-dancer already found her. "There you are, Fuu-chan! I was beginning to worry you'd ran off." Yutaka Izanagi feigned realizing his date had gone astray, even though he'd been fully watching from afar.

Izanagi had seen her talking to that mysterious fellow in red again…

Meanwhile, that "mysterious fellow" continued a solid speed, hands stuffed deep into his empty shorts' pockets, not exactly_ knowing_ what to do next… If his companion still planned to keep traveling, first he'd have to wait for her dumb date to be over. And that was a really damn big _"IF". _

'_She'd be better off with a pretty boy like that. Wouldn't hafta' travel or scrounge for money anymore… We wouldn't hafta' travel together. Wouldn't have to look out for her clumsy ass either.' _Something about that _still _didn't sit right. …True, the chump _did_ seem like his exact image of what kind of male Fuu would go for; fit the same chivalrous, well mannered category as...

Jin.

And Fuu…he'd always expected her to _hold_ _out_ for Jin, so maybe this new man was a replacement since they seemed easily comparable… After all, the not present master-less ronin was an insecurity they had yet to find. _Mugen was also another insecurity…always would be…_

Clearly he grimaced at the thought of Izanagi…and Jin…and where _he_ fit into all this nonsense concerning his tumultuous relationship with the same and_ only_ woman making him consider such ridiculous things to begin with! Only his stomach bellowed in response. "Fuck. No cash… No food… I'm starvin' to death."

"MUGEN-KUUUUUN!" cooed several (three to be exact) girls from across the open marketplace. None other than the ditzy trio of Kiku, Yuki and Umiko were nearly tripping over the long hems of their multi-colored garments to catch up, officially dubbed the "kuki-ko"…since he could barely remember the last syllable of their names. _God_, he was in no mood to speak with them…

"Why don't you enter the showing that's scheduled in a few minutes, and do a dance off?! That'd be _soooo _cool!" He'd altogether _given up_ on telling the ladies apart. In case anyone wondered, this was Umiko addressing him first.

"Dance-off?"

Additionally Kiku spoke, "Yah! At the dingy bar, we saw you punch that smelly drunk who was bothering us yesterday, and you'd moved so fast! I think you were _made _to be a b-boy. In a dance-off, you _like_, do break-dancing against another person in a showing."

"Does it look like I got_ time _for stupid shit like that?"

"But we overheard that you needed money! You get tips if you can do like, crazy moves that seem as if you're defying gravity! Like umm…uh… making your legs spin like a top or… Umm…like, Just, all you _really need_ to know is it's a competition!"

"And money's involved!" the one with snowflake patterns all over her kimono—Yuki—replied.

'_Spin legs like a top, eh? I've kicked people like that before…'_ Though he displayed disinterest, scratching one ankle with the other foot's toenail, he _did sort of_ wonder what this whole break-dancing business was all about…"…Well who'd I be goin' up against?"

Yuki answered again. "There's a few other dancers, but no one is as good as Izanagi!" Both Kiku and Umiko frowned simultaneously: after all, they'd both dated and were dumped by the obvious playboy …He swore that'd been the same stupid name Fuu kept on saying that afternoon.

"Really… Maybe I'll give this break-dancin' a shot."

* * *

><p>"Welcome everyone, to Nagoya's dancing performance in honor of Atsuta Shrine's Hatsu-Ebisu festival! My name is Furutachi Ichiemon! And today I will be serving as the master of ceremonies!" Everyone assembled near the right side of the town square, where a wooden platform had been set up in front of a bulky district wall roofed with blue ridged shingles, as they enclosed around it in a small semi circle. The announcer dressed in navy with rounded spectacles, and a pointy kabuto-like cap continued speaking over the active throngs; Fuu felt he looked rather familiar not unlike the fortune teller…<em>maybe at a food eating contest they attended in Edo…or that baseball game they played once. <em>"As some of you have seen before, this is no mere traditional dancing! This breaks a sweat not that much different from sword fighting! Now then, watch as a few of our own well-trained volunteers perform!"

"Hit it!" Ichiemon then motioned to a couple: a stocky male carrying a drum and the classy mistress wrapping her digits around the bridge of a shamisen at his side. At the cue, they nodded to one another, and began giving an upbeat tempo that made the mass of bodies unintentionally sway along.

Four guys made way to the stage.

In a brief amount of time, they began to do a series of movements that were easily capable of denying current analysis on physics. One smoothly slid across the floor while only using his head as support! A man with far more upper body strength even casually balanced on a single hand, rhythmically bouncing to the pulsating drumbeat reverberating from just beyond the platform by the festival's musical pair. The other two filled in shortly afterwards, doing maneuvers the announcer explained were dubbed air flares; their legs propelled their bodies in a spherical motion filled with perfect fluidity. The more they balanced while imparting motion to such a fast paced tempo, the more Mugen and Fuu—on separate sides of the crowd—became increasingly astonished… This was like his unorthodox fighting style! Kinda…pissed him off they called it…_dancing_.

Similar movements were a matter of life and death!

After many joyous cries, and money tossed to the stage which were collected into a polished lacquer carton, the four men kneeled to the floor in traditional bows.

"And next up, is everyone's favorite, Yutaka-san!" When they called that name, a roaring outburst greeted the break-dancer; especially from female fans. He gratefully waved to his many spectators, and made sure to give a specific smile to Fuu…who timidly returned the gesture.

When he started, he moved along the platform with such raw power…and yet such agile elegance. Izanagi himself seemed absorbed into the vibes of the thumping calloused hand hitting the buckskin surface and the smooth fingers strumming the stretched chords while none could break away their gaze…except for Mugen…

The ryukyuan's intense eyes, after thoroughly scanning over the forest of heads, eventually settled on an auburn ponytail and bun with two ruby and gold hairpins poking upwards. The female watched Izanagi with what he deemed to be_ awe_… Izanagi only moved just how _he_ did when he fought. She could actually think the _boy _could do better than him after she'd seen him battle innumerable instances? Couldn't begin to comprehend why this impressed her so much…

When the popular street performer rose erect after finishing a series of hand standing while spinning his legs in an oval, then a surprisingly well placed windmill and several other quick and accurate movements, he too gave a bow. More money got thrown his way.

While Mugen fully immersed himself _in the way her little mouth opened, and how her lashes batted every few seconds…_he failed to realize Izanagi had finished until the melody ended, and the applause replaced it.

"For the next portion, I have to ask if anyone would like to try it out! Any other volunteers? ...Maybe even someone who would like to initiate a showdown? If not, then our five performers will continue to dazzle us with their hiphop style!" Everyone remained silent. "No one?"

Three female hands shoved into Mugen's back. "Now's your chance!" they all said in harmony. Geez those women were pushy…

Before he could give any protest, he now stood in front of everyone, slothfully scratching at the back of his scalp. Well, they _were_ getting money out of this from what he'd seen…and he _was_ hungry; it had _nothing_ to with competing with Fuu's date…even if Mugen withheld not a single doubt that he could beat the guy at any hour of the day.

"What's up, sir! I feel as if you look quite familiar… In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd see a dude like you bust a move. Think you got what it takes to wow the crowd?" the MC questioned, surely recognizing the ryukyuan from some time almost two years ago.

Fuu's date contrastingly glared, _easily recalling _this ex-criminal on _three other_ separate occasions… He also saw Fuu gawk in utter confusion from the center of the eagerly awaiting city dwellers. Izanagi sneered cockily, "Sorry _buddy_, but I doubt you'll be able to do much. Why don't you just _step down_."

"The shit you do looks easy enough."

Downright scoffing now, he raised his arms to the audience. "_Well _ladies and gentleman, it seems this_ amateur_ is taking our skills for granted. After all, break-dancing isn't an easy feat for any-"

"Amateur? Tch…"

…Much to the dismay of Izanagi and Fuu, whose mouth still hung open in shock, Mugen nonchalantly strolled on over to the center of the smooth paneled stage like he owned the whole damn thing.

"Umm…"

With a small, "Hmph" he sprinted right past Izanagi, towards the far wall the platform stood in front of. Right when he'd subsequently reached it, he bounded upwards, beginning to run onto the side of the wall as if fully defying all laws of gravity! Finally, he flipped off with a sharp kick, soaring midair briefly and then descended back to the tiles below.

Landing flawlessly on both stilted geta with not a _single_ stumble, the many onlookers stared wide eyed.

"He's good!" Slews of ovation rewarded the end of the stunning display of talent. Only Fuu wasn't as impressed, since she'd_ obviously_ seen far more amazing stunts being pulled by the uncultivated fighter… On the other hand…she'd been surprised by his brash interference into the show.

"DANCE OFF! DANCE OFF! DANCE OFF!" soon instigated the horde of observers.

"So basically, if I'm a better "break-dancer" than this bozo, I win this shit."

"…Pretty much."

"I always love a good competition." A tawny finger now pointed straight at the newly staggered performer. "And I make sure ta' never lose!"

The public watched in wonder as the new dancer—dressed in shortly cut hakama and a red haori—began to twist and whirl rhythmically on the wooden platform in the center of the square, using first a hand, then a foot, then a hand again as leverage while stirring about in uninhibited skill. The gasps of the crowd got _loud_.

Izanagi desperately tried to keep up with something more impressive, such as crouching down, balancing on two palms as he maneuvered his legs in a circular motion that his hands dodged every time they reached a full revolution… While definitely gifted, Mugen's moves facilitated versatility…which only_ one_ person in the crowd understood why.

Planting his bushy hair right on the flooring, Mugen pushed off of the flat plane so his entire body spun like a top, his head and neck the only beam for balance. After the thirtieth rotation of the smoothly transitioned, iconic "headspin", everyone gave in to how long he could exercise something so insane. He looked like he could break his own neck at any second! No wonder it was called "break-dancing"!

The drummer increased the beats, as well as the woman who fingered the shamisen in a completely unconventional way; they seemed to contrast, yet harmonize the instrument's capabilities. It created a perfect fusion of pace and sound to move to. Some even started clapping to the high-speed composition.

Many, including the MC had held their breath during the entire rondo.

It became perceptible that they were becoming more interested to what crazy tricks the tanner and older of the two had to offer.

Being so lost in the beats, and the chilly air striking him with every sharp swivel and curving bend, the vagrant no longer relied on conscious awareness; he moved solely on instinct, not unlike the swordfights he ritually performed. As Mugen danced, he didn't feel the eyes of the countless awestruck people boring into him, no: his audience offstage was comprised of a single individual, who he _knew_ possessed enlarging eyes following his every move.

Her stare was at his mercy…_just like this afternoon_. Something about that made Mugen lose himself in the peaking music.

After several more shock inducing actions, the wicked vagrant performed his infamous windmill, much more rapidly than Izanagi's earlier, his propelling limbs appearing as nothing more than a dizzying blur to the viewers—as well as for himself since he could barely_ stand straight _after completely such a strenuous routine…

Even in the season of frost, Izanagi could evidently feel the sticky sweat dripping down the span of his back. He panted raggedly from attempting to keep up with this devil on the dance floor.

After about ten minutes of the competitive presentation, Izanagi altogether submitted, carefully receding from the edges of the stilted stage devoid of another syllable to voice. He'd slipped away so fast that none could make a comment… Or perhaps Mugen completely locked all attention on him.

Without the master of ceremonies or anyone else having to say it, everyone knew who won the game of rivalry…

The city dwellers cheered for the mysterious new b-boy protégé. They tossed him several coins, which he caught easily midair (most likely to show off even more), lining his pockets with the mon. They, having once been empty, now jingled with every movement he made. More eye-catching women joined the front row, giving flirty compliments and giggling amongst themselves about how the unorthodox dancer had a coarse, but somehow _handsome_ look.

…Even Fuu felt the corners of her mouth unintentionally lift at his popularity in a few minutes; especially finding it extraordinary that his natural techniques could be considered…a form of entertainment with no hint of bloodshed... In some regards she was proud of her companion.

She _did _sort of feel bad for Izanagi too, despite how he underestimated Mugen.

Speaking of the b-boy, the man completely disappeared altogether…beyond fuming that the "amateur" could catch more attention than he. Yet, that wasn't the sole motive behind the sudden and unspoken departure…

* * *

><p>None noticed Izanagi usher himself past the limits of the town square… <em>'I'm positive I've seen a poster with his face on it… Positive.'<em>

Lo and behold…there was a small, barely detailed scribble of a strange male's mug. Undeniably, he had some serious resemblance: bushy hair, stubble, a scar across the left eyebrow… an impressive glower. _'That's him!' _

It'd been posted right outside the police barracks.

* * *

><p>When Mugen directly caught Fuu's stare amidst the cheering people—and she <em>was<em> staring at him;_ intently_—she'd been close to_ positive _he'd given a quick wink back. Her head immediately snapped away. Out of embarrassment, _shyness_? She couldn't decide… Ironically, more than a few well endowed women nudged others out of the way to get to the front row that her lecherous companion could have _easily _been flirting with. One random audience member even made it up to the stage. She asked Mugen to sign her kimono! To that, he made a swift curvature of an infinity symbol on her shoulder with the paint brush provided.

Yeah. Definitely _not_ winking at her.

Feeling a small tug on the arm, Fuu abruptly redirected her attention to someone else who'd been urging for her attention. Honestly, Fuu hadn't at all noticed he'd been gone for so long; the upset and maybe even…distressed Izanagi motioned with a thumb that they should head out.

One more glance lingered towards the performance, to the people clapping and cheering…and to her ex-bodyguard afore following the break-dancer slipping past the energized assemblage.

When those two exited, another group—who all carried respective daisho at the hip and formal gi with check mark crests—began seeping through the many townsfolk with multiple swears and shoves. One voice yelled over the music. Another samurai commanded the musicians to cease playing altogether.

"Vagrant Mugen!"

"Hah?" his bottom lip protruded in frustration. He'd really enjoyed that last song…getting fully into it.

Several of the men pointed as he barely finished doing a series of back flips. "The crimes stacked against you have led to a well accumulated bounty on your head. You are under arrest for the crimes you've committed going unchecked in multiple provinces. And resistance will_ not_ end well for you here."

That ex-criminal didn't seem the least bit intimidated…or surprised for that matter. And he _wasn't_, since scenarios like this had happened so often, that it was as common as sun up and sun down. "Says who? _You _guys? Middle aged with your hair balding? _Gimme' a break_."

"B-balding?! This isn't balding; this is a _hairstyle_!" Like it could_ change_ the ryukyuan's ignorant perception, the samurai repeatedly pointed at the unsightly, graying top knot that did little to make him anymore appealing… A more serious man pushed his confidant aside, "No matter. You will soon fall if one denies us respect. We are the Owari branch servants of hatamoto, retainers of the Tokugawa shogun and direct descendants of those who served the Oda clan! Do you know what that means, fool?!"

"…Nope."

"Such insolence! The Oda family of daimyos have provided stability for this country since the days of Nobunaga. And this very city of Nagoya is the birthplace of Oda Nobunaga, one of our countries' greatest leaders who provided unity to all Japan! With the strife you've caused in several provinces, your connection to piracy in Satsuma, and direct attacks on several political figures, you are dishonoring Nobunaga, the entire Oda clan, as well as the current shogun himself and-"

"Still don't understand what you're gettin' at Chrome Dome."

"If you resist arrest, we will _not _hesitate to kill you! UNDERSTAND?"

"Who are these dudes, actors?" a young boy in the crowd spoke up. "Is this a new part of the show for this year? A fake fight scene? Awesome!" someone else whooped…which made a few others applaud in response.

…It appeared the people previously watching the performance Izanagi and Mugen had given were now falsely suspecting the people threatening arrest were another aspect of the public show!

Well then, a show is exactly what he was gonna give them. This time though, he wouldn't use the claymore strapped over the shoulder, since killing people would more likely terrify the whole crowd rather than entertain them.

"Keep playin' the beats man, it ain't over just yet."

"Yes sir!" the drummer again excitedly began another fast beat tempo, hitting the instrument. Soon, the female at his side struck the melodic strings.

"Boy oh boy, someone must've been a little frickin' tattle-tale on me. Ah well, I haven't had a good fight in weeks!" He cracked his neck to each side and punched one fist into the other palm.

"If you cannot take our order seriously, then you will just die as a fugitive."

"Makes it all the more FUN!" Right as he yelled, Mugen's hair scarcely missed being grazed under the swoop of a meticulously quick sword edge. Several people gasped. Hand standing and ascending both feet right beneath the samurai, the officer fell backwards with a newly devastated jaw _cracking_ at the might of two metal enforced clogs.

Everyone cheered.

Each of the swordsmen drew their weapons—the soft _chings_ of their blades sliding out of the scabbards forming a tension building hum. As one swordsman created an arcing slash, his unlawful opponent ducked, using spiraling legs to cause the samurai to lose coordination. Upon hitting the ground hard, the wind completely knocked out of caving lungs, Mugen stomped a foot right into his gut, all the strength put into the assault. None could gain their footing. Nor could they predict the absolute wildness of their target's style. Another sliced vertically…and the stainless steel soon hacked and imbedded into the wooden planks beneath them. Sharpened to perfection…the katana got stuck… The sword master barely had the chance to look back up at the man stepping onto the dull side, impeding its removal. But the confused and clumsy hatamoto guard_ did _feel the high kick bash stanchly into his temple… All the while, the exuberant crowds kept on bolstering the volume louder and louder. Never did the fast paced tune recede.

Well timed flare kicks caused two more at the rear to hurdle into the backstage wall. Many of them were out cold! Their bodies sprawled around all corners of the large platform. More appeared, shouting for the excited observers to return to their respective homes; _none were listening_. They soon had to divide in half to allow the pushy warrior class through.

After punching one guy into the nose who'd gotten too close for comfort, Mugen turned to the people, scanning wildly for a specific color, brighter than his own red, "Oi, girlie! We'd better bounce our asses outta here! ...Hey…what the hell?" Right then, the popular performer noticed a certain female in pink and her dates' lack of attendance among the crowds. "That son of a bitch…"

In the distance, another faint screech of a police whistle resounded from somewhere far off, making Mugen utter a simple curse, having to push past the immense articles of clothes and prying hands, into the direction of a pair of fresh footprints leading away from the gathering. He could still hear the music's riveting notes resonate and his own name being cheered for, on and on _and on_.

* * *

><p>"Aren't you cold? You can take my happi coat if you'd like. It's warmer than it looks and I don't need it. " Without even waiting for her reply Izanagi already began shrugging off the gray and olive material.<p>

…All she could imagine was the cottony feel of a red haori swathed snuggly across her shoulders. With a newly dismayed gaze cast to the snow, she politely declined the offer, even while her body truly felt the effects of winter's scorn.

He'd brought her to a secluded area; a small park completely empty now with everything going on near the holy place of Shintoism. They took seats upon a smoothed down limestone bench beneath a large willow tree, its leafless branches leaning over at an odd slant from being so badly trodden by wind, guarding the pair from the flakes beginning to tumble from their origins in the blurred heavens.

"These Shinto based matsuri help people to get away from the daily grind. We keep traditional aspects, though we add some more modern principles to the mix. Makes it stay with the times." Some of his straight black hair still shined with perspiration after the dance-off. The locks splayed over the knotted headband coming loose.

"I think they're good for the community. It certainly has made you popular hasn't it… But this isn't what you do for a living, is it?"

"You're right about that. Helping to set up town events and break-dancing are like my hobbies. It's practically _impossible _to make a living as a performer unless I traveled. And I'd much rather stay rooted down anyway." He didn't give a break for her to enter into the conversation. On he bragged, "Truth is…my family's got a lot of money. They were merchants back in the day, and they kept at it so now we send exports all across the country. With all that money coming in from my father and mother, I get a chance to sit back and relax." So he _did _grow up a privileged child… That sure explained the fancy, trendy clothes…

"You're lucky…"

"Yeah. Good wealth is all I could ask for."

_And he was shallow…_

"No… I meant having family." her whisper revealed traces of some sentimental value…

The wealthy son of a merchant fixed a stare onto the slate-blue surface of the icy pond reflecting the hazy sky that lay just beyond the stony bench they rested upon. To generate heat, Izanagi started rubbing two palms together while letting out a tense chuckle. "I don't know what it is, but there's something different about you than other girls. All the girls I've went out with, I mean. I just can't place what it is about you…"

Fuu couldn't help sneering. "Bet you tell a lot of women that, huh." Even he laughed to this.

Although she didn't bother saying it, the girl became well aware of what that difference _was_ between her and the other women he'd dated; not an ounce of Fuu could honestly say she had any interest in him in the same way that those ladies surely had… Truly, he was a charming person and pleasant to talk to, handsome like Jin too with that dignified appearance…

Unfortunately she couldn't bring herself to be attracted physically or romantically. Not even a little bit.

Their contrasting personalities were even more than Mugen and Jin: Izanagi seemed fortunate and proud of his upbringing, talking much of himself and his many viewpoints. Wherein, Mugen, Jin and Fuu all had taken forever to reveal _anything _of their garbled pasts to each other, and they'd _all_ had their fair share of hardships… This guy seemed like he'd gotten a free ticket down Easy Street. Especially when compared to the ryukyuan vagabond's upbringing, Izanagi would be put to shame... Very rarely did Mugen bother to divulge anything…never complained about the many adversities he'd been forced to face across his life still in its early years. At best, most of the things—_few in number_—she knew about him had to be squeezed out…

Clearly he was still on her mind. Like the argument they had hours prior, she found out of the bitterness of his background though he'd never outwardly informed of that knowledge beforehand. By saying all those_ heartless_ things—all the things she never for a second meant, all the thing she wished to take right back—only then would she'd have ever fully understood the weight of that…

She couldn't _stop_ thinking about him: if he were still break-dancing, still getting tips, still flirting with all the women…

So _far _had Fuu zoned out in her thoughts of the raven haired ex-bodyguard…that she could barely hear Izanagi's voice anymore. Usually she'd give "Uh huh."s or "Wow."s to every phrase. The only things that made her snap back to attention were questions, "Did you ever think of staying in one town? I think you'd be happier here than out there in the cold. Plus, you'd be able to save money and live a _normal_ life." he asked…

Somehow, she felt it sounded judgmental, like she was _abnormal _for wanting to travel. '_What is normal anyway?' _She never possessed_ normal_. Only there, after all the uncertainties, Fuu realized she didn't want to.

"I can't." Her zori sandals made stirring indents into the cold, colorless heaps beneath them. His brow creased curiously. "Because…I'm still looking for one of my ex-bodyguards."

"That's it? You're just gonna keep hoping you'll find him? What if you never do?"

"I _will_." Admirable how sure her tone could sound…even when the doubt infected her tenacity…

"You said his name's Jin, right? He must be a great guy if you're going all this way to find him."

As time passed, Yutaka Izanagi altogether seemed to inch closer to Fuu. At first these attempted passes went fully overlooked by the innocent girl; completely past her head. She assumed this was his own way of respectfully listening to her speak. "Yeah… I really miss Jin a lot. But actually…all this big talk about finding him, finding Jin is only part of it. Truth is, I've felt more alive traveling than I ever did with stability in one city. After my first big expedition with my two bodyguards, I wandered around for a while, never staying in one place for long. Then…I started living in Edo for a few months. It was there that I re-met my other bodyguard. We'd been separated for over a year by then… He was still traveling, you see…while I stayed rooted in the capitol. And because of him, because of Mugen, I remembered how much I missed it; traveling, you know? It's just…_exciting_. _Fresh_. You're always experiencing new things even if there's danger, or road blocks in the way. But, you just keep on going and never stop."

"You have some interesting things to talk about, _girlie_."

Girlie: one of Mugen's many boorish nicknames for her: among others being bitch, broad, brat, flake, bimbo, tramp, porky, moron etc…

But…"_girlie_" she became particularly fond of…since there wasn't any negative connotation attached; not to mention, Mugen never bothered to refer to her by name. Due to that, she liked to think that just for _between them_, girlie was a filler in a sense, for "Fuu". It became endearing… Special…

"Umm… Izanagi-kun, can you please not call me that?"

Again, his brow raised, confused…maybe even irritated by insistence to peculiar requests. "Is there an _explanation_?"

"No, just… Please don't."

Fuu continued to stare up at the many dull clouds rolling overhead, once more reflected on the serene body of water's inert exterior. He was still watching her, "Can I refer to use as just Fuu then?" The youth with the tiny ponytail meant not using an honorific…something only done when showing rudeness…_or intimacy_. She balled a clump of flower decorated kimono fabric into her newly tensing hands.

"Fuu-chan is fine. We barely know each other."

It wasn't till the b-boy draped an arm around her did she at last become…_uncomfortable_. "Well, I'm planning on getting to know you really well soon enough." he grinned coolly.

Blinking warning lights kept flashing about, all because of a few words her companion had stated in frustration:_ Izanagi would try to take sexual advantage of her_.

Beyond the point of paranoid, she stood suddenly, knocking his whole arm away as courteously as the action could possibly be administered. "I'm sorry, Yutaka-san but there's somewhere I have to be." Even though her mind was sure, her tone of voice must have faltered…

"I told you, just call me Izanagi." the insistent male stood just as fast, where Fuu then wasted no time in increasing the distance from him…_the same one who'd seemed so kind and generous before_. "And somewhere you have to go? That sounds like an _excuse_ to me…" Backward steps were taken bit by bit. She'd forgotten about the tree beside the stone bench.

Her back hit the old willow as the words slipped past his thin lips so smoothly, not a bump, nor a small stutter; confident…clever. Untrustworthy.

When Izanagi approached even more, breaching past her well built walls of personal space, two hands against the wood, causing her to shrink back into the coarse bark of the tree, this frightened her—_frightened her so much more than when Mugen had done it; pinned her to a smooth wall with two arms on each side of her head, attacking her with hurtful words only because he wished to protect himself…and her from caring for someone with such deeply ingrained sins…as he stared her down with such untamable, unmatched…_

…_passion._

"Fine. Then do you want me to be straight with you?" Surges of blood and adrenaline rushing in were that of genuine dread, and despite how all her joints stiffened, and her throat went dry…she wouldn't allow this man—this _complete_ stranger—to do_ whatever_ he was intending. "I'm sorry, but the truth is, I'm not the slightest bit interested in you. So just-"

Everything erupted when Izanagi leaned down in an _attempt _to plant his mouth upon her lips. Fuu released a scream.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]:_ *gasp* Izanagi almost kissed her! …It's really not that dramatic yet, haha. _

_May I also mention, describing break-dancing was one of the hardest things for me to put into words. Sorry it's so crappy. ;/ I honestly think I'm losing my flow._

**Uranai-** Japanese fortune telling. **Bokusen**- one of the three kinds of fortune telling, relying on physical objects to help people make decisions or provide advice. I intended to combine traditional Japanese as well as having western influences. One of the traditional ways is called **Omikuji**: A person shakes a small box with an opening until a stick comes out. According to what number is on the stick, a corresponding piece of paper is taken from a collection housed in a Shinto Shrine; these papers tell what kind of luck a person has. Luck ranges from separate levels, worst being "Great Curse" while best being "Great Blessing". Fuu's luck ends up being "Future Blessing". To mash up culture, I made it so the stick says the luck, and according to that stick, a different card, serving as the omikuji is picked up. But the cards laid on the table are more reminiscent of western tarot cards rather than omikuji paper. I intended for Fuu to get the Devil's Card, connecting back to the irony of her father being a cryptic Christian. This isn't always a bad thing in tarot readings though. In this case, the "devil" in her life represents her relationship with Mugen.

_Did anyone recognize the old fortune teller? Her name is__** Oryu**__ and she's the one that reads Fuu's fortune in Ep 3 and is at the gambling house in Ep 4 of the anime. _

**Kuki-ko**- the name that Mugen remembers Kiku, Umiko and Yuki by. "Kuki Inc." is an adult video company (lmao). "Ko" makes the same sound as "Co." which is an abbreviation for "company". It ended up basically meaning "Adult video company".

**Furutachi Ichiemon the MC**_- _he's the announcer of the food eating contestin Ep 6 and the baseball game in Ep 23 of the anime XD

**Check Mark Symbol- **not a samurai crest. It's the Nike sneaker symbol, adding the hip hop flair just like the anime did with Adidas and Reebok in episode 1 and I did with Supra in chapter 1. However, everything else the samurai said was true like Oda Nobunaga being born in Nagoya for example. Other things such as them being hatamoto descending from the Oda clan are perfectly plausible.

_When I wrote the break-dancing portion, I imagined the drummer to be **Nujabes** haha, one of the main musical artists behind the Samurai Champloo OST. His beats are amazing and left an emotional impact on me; I listen to a lot of his tracks while writing these chapters actually. __**Rest in beats, Seba Jun.**__ You died too early, but your soul will live on forever through your music._

_I also imagined the shamisen player to be **Minmi** (the singer for Shiki no Uta and Who's Theme,;two of the ending songs for Samurai Champloo)._

Mugen: *Looks at wanted poster drawing (imagine the hilarious wanted poster from the manga)* Who's this ugly mofo?

Yuki: I think that's… *laughs*…supposed to be you.

Mugen: Ha. Ha. Very funny. …And you three are _still_ followin' me?! Seriously?!

Umiko: I think it really is you, Mugen-kuuun. Look, it has your crazy hair.

Mugen: I'm way sexier than this damn sketch!

Kiku: Oh my goooood, you're worth 500 ryo?!

Mugen: That's all?! That bastard who drew this shit is gonna get it! *runs off*

Yuki, Umiko and Kiku: MUGEN-KUUUUNNNNNN! *chases after in fangirl rampage*

Me: *sweats nervously* Umm… Wait… MUGEN! Aren't you supposed to be looking for Fuu?! MUGEN, THE STORY MUST GO ON!

_As always, review with your thoughts, questions, concerns, comments, feedback or just ta' gimme' some love ^^ Peace out, my Fuugen fans!_

_**End of Chapter 22**_


	25. Chapter 23 Erroneous Epiphanies

_**Chapter 23 Erroneous Epiphanies**_

{Original Title: Far More Than Nothing}

[A/N] _Irashaimase. Here's __**part 4**__ of the Nagoya set of __**4**__. Make sure you didn't accidentally skip one of the previous three!_

"_Erroneous" means mistaken, untrue or straying from what is proper etc. "Epiphany" is a sudden profound realization. …"Mistaken Realizations"… By the time you finish, you will come to understand the BIG meaning behind the title._

**NOTICE-**Towards the middle, paragraphs will constantly switch between Fuu's inner feelings, then Mugen's on a situation. It's not their direct perspective. It's still third person but the focus will drift back and forth. I think this makes me something called an "omniscient narrator", where the narration is like reading their thoughts but still applying them as if the characters aren't directly aware of them. Sometimes, sentences are written as fact. But, it's actually their thoughts…hard to explain. You'll see. My story has always been like that. In this case, it's even more so.

_Actually, this is the most confusing chapter ever. LONG. DIALOGUE. LOTS OF CHARACTER DISSECTION… REALLY hope this doesn't disappoint ;( Let's say I wanted to break from the norm._

_To __**guest reviewer Meeko23**__, thanks! And I hope this update is just as good…if not better. O.o_

_To__** isolorza90**__ who disabled Private Messaging, I'm happy to do so for fellow Fuugen fans! Thank YOU for reviewing it! As for the time I put into this…I'm a slow writer, so yeah, it does take up a lot of my life. (Lol XP What life?) Plus, I'm moving to a new apartment in the next month…again…and my mother is a packrat so…I have barely any time to pack up everything and type too. Gah. ANYWAY, that's why reviews make me so happy, like all my ideas, time and efforts are worth it if there are people out there who actually like it. ^^_

_Here we go…and…enjoy!(?)_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. I am but a humble fanfiction writer hunched over my laptop, with no career and that makes absolutely no money from this material. Kinda depressing…

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 23 Erroneous Epiphanies<strong>_

"STOP IT! GET AWAY!"

With all the strength her frail arms could muster, Fuu shoved her "assailant" away, letting free the alarm rising shriek from the imprisonment her dry throat produced. Izanagi's once collected stare went wide in shock.

…Thus far, no movement indicated a would-be attack…

Instead, his hands rose in front of his chest, "Woah, WOAH! D-don't scream! I wasn't going to do anything bad! I-I was just going to kiss you, Fuu-chan. That's all!"

When the girl in pink looked at him…she saw the speechlessness. Izanagi wasn't lying.

She'd overreacted and now…felt rather stupid…

The signs had been interpreted wrong. While he was definitely pushy, and _did_ have a lot of women interested in him, he had no objective of_ molesting_ anyone; no blatant, evil ulterior motives to hide. After all that worrying, there'd been no intention of doing anything to_ hurt _her. Mugen said that he was the type who dated girls, slept with them and dumped them; Mugen said he would try to rape her… He was mistaken… Where _was_ Mugen anyway?

"I'm sorry Yutaka-san. I can't. I'm just not_ into_ you. I could never _kiss_ someone I'm not in lov-"

Izanagi almost guffawed, thinking better of it fast, "You don't have to_ love_ someone to kiss them. I can't believe you screamed over something that trivial! People are going to think I'm a rapist or something."

_Trivial…_ This wasn't trivial. He was going to _kiss_ her; a girl he barely knew. "A kiss _does_ matter. And…I've learord never to trust anyone." she stated firmly.

"No. That's not it. It's that guy, isn't it. That guy who came into town just around the same time as you."

"What? I don't get what you're…talking about…"

"You can't be interested in anyone because of that man with the prison tattoos. I've _seen _you_ staring_ at him from afar at least a dozen times when he wasn't looking. You two were talking at the restaurant, he came out of the same inn as you, and before our dance-off you two were talking in the crowds. When he break-danced…the way you _looked _at him… You've _got_ something for that guy; _feelings_. And that's why you're so nervous around me. But _he's _the one you should be afraid of. Did you know he's a wanted man?! There was even a bounty note on him!" exclaimed her date fiercely.

Fuu's chest throbbed.

"Don't worry; I already informed the authorities. People like that are just plain dangerous, Fuu. You should stay away from men like that!"

The part about having_ feelings_ for this alleged male barely had time to fully set into mind, let alone the part about the authorities being called on that same man. But when it did—when she realized _he_ was in trouble—her clammy hands began shaking erratically all on their own. "I-I need to go. Right now."

"Wha-You're…you're worried about him? Why would you continue to associate with a guy who has wanted posters in the city?!"

"So are you going to judge _me_ for being chased down by the government in the past?!" she pointed to herself.

"Fuu, I know _you're_ not a bad person; you're nothing like him. He's not _normal_. He'll never have a stable lifestyle where he stays in one place, with money and a home. He's a crimin-"

"Normal? Don't talk about him like you know what we've been through! Part of the reason he's wanted is because he protected me! Me and Mugen are…"

Everything started to piece together for Izanagi after being in the dark about the mysterious man in red's affiliation with his date. He'd figured something and been correct on the idea... "…_Mugen_… Your other ex-bodyguard? The one who makes you feel alive when you travel… Wow. I get it now." Glowing sapphire orbs alleviated any confusion considerably when they locked with defiant, unconvinced brown. Izanagi stepped forward cautiously… Fuu wouldn't allow him to get too close, defensively retreating until her back collided against the tree again. He persisted. _His point about Mugen persisted,_ "But can't you tell? What_ you_ feel isn't the same for your bodyguard… When you looked at him from a distance, I saw this_ sadness_ in your eyes."

_He was so right. How could someone she barely knew be so right about that?_

"I d-don't _feel _anything; he's my friend! …And look at you. All those women at the festival performance are obsessed with you! How many of them did you kiss? How many did you sleep with?! You're the type that goes with a girl, treats her like you "love" her, and then dumps her without a second thought. How could you begin to understand how I feel?! You don't get attached!" He was a womanizer. Guys like him didn't fall in love. In that regard, Izanagi _was_ a lot like Mugen…

Way too casually, the b-boy shrugged off the accusation. "I'm just experimenting. That's all. By…being physical with someone, it's like a test to see who I really can develop true feelings for."

That was so backwards for her; Fuu always assumed that you would have a physical relationship with someone you already _had _developed feelings for!

Izanagi completely read those thoughts, "But you…I can see you're holding out. You're innocent. You can't even_ kiss _anyone because _he's_ always on your mind. And how long are you going to _hold out_ for someone that is _never _going to feel the same way you do? You said so yourself that he always travels from place to place. How long are you going to_ wait_ for a guy like that? He'll never _be_ anything besides a possibility. Is that what you want?" He planted palms on her shoulders, sternly, yet nowhere near as fierce or bone breaking as Mugen's grasp; Fuu realized that the rich merchant's son wasn't going to hurt her, possibly even held some honest concern for the traveler's well-being.

_But he was wrong…wasn't he?_

Her knees began to buckle under the weight of the nonexistent pressure Izanagi applied, almost giving out completely if she hadn't leaned adjacent to the aged tree for the second time, this occasion for support… Without it, standing properly wouldn't have been easy. Fuu couldn't let go of the feeling that somehow maybe Izanagi was partly right. For Mugen…she kind of did-

"Get your filthy fucking hands OFF HER!" Those palms lingering on her were soon ripped off. And Izanagi…was shoved to the hard-packed snow below.

"M-Mugen?!"

"Hey man, I'm not-"

Five hard knuckles bashed straight into his cheek. As he fell back with a thud, he immediately tried to regain a stance. The merciless onslaught of the ryukyuan swordsman did not end; he easily pushed Izanagi back to the white layered earth. There, another fist reeled back, releasing straight into the b-boy's eye that would've broken the nose or jaw, had it been placed anywhere else. Izanagi, who'd tried to stand back up twice, collapsed. The young man didn't for the life of him know how to defend himself.

"Mugen, _stop_!" his companion screamed. No use; the vicious warrior violently kicked the boy cowering in the snow, _over and over, _injuring ribs, _shattering _them under the repeated assault_._ All the victim did was wince and curl together, enveloping his head around arms that formed nothing more than an impractical shield.

He could never catch a break. Seized by the front of his gi collar, lifted on dragging sandals, Izanagi then was brutally thrown into the slanting willow tree where Fuu previously stood. Bony fingers wrapped around his neck, piercing, _suffocating_, digging into Izanagi throat, who could do nothing besides writhe and squirm in the choking hold, eyes desperate, mouth agape. One hand held him up. Nails dug into the younger's skin. And the other…went to unsheathe the European claymore; fully intended to pierce past cloth…and skin…and organs…until the pointed edge hit the bark behind him. There'd be red. Much of it. And the wild beast would bask in the gushes spurting from the bastard who dared to lay a finger on the girl.

He never got the chance.

"MUGEN! He didn't do anything wrong! PLEASE, JUST STOP IT!" She—weakly and fragilely—pulled at his arm.

He heard a scream like that before… _Twice. _The second time he didn't like to remember… But the first time…

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><p><em>She's kneeled on the ground, shock and horror a corrupting menace for the delicate features she holds. The giant freak, Oniwakamaru holds the one armed man up by his neck, choking him, bones popping with every ounce of more pressure applied by his disfigured fingers. Out for revenge against the bodyguard who wears red with a single white triangle mark, the evil, heartless thug had almost decapitated Fuu. <em>

_Now, he collapses at the girl's feet; lifeless._

_From the ground nearby, Mugen sees all this, vision blurred…head throbbing frenziedly from the fatal poison seeping farther into his veins… The fifteen year old closes her eyes, diverting from the violence. Oniwakamaru still shadows overhead._

_With the last of his fleeting strength, Mugen somehow stands and clutches the hilt of his tsurugi. He darts at the monstrous fiend he fully believes will hurt the girl he promised to guard next. His opponent does the same, lifting his halberd for the final blow._

"_STOP!" echoes her screams. "PLEASE, STOP IT!"_

_Mugen thinks she's screaming to the beast to yield. And the ogre drops the spear from the command. Mugen doesn't. The double sided sword punctures through thick, lackluster flesh; a burst of blood ruptures from the back. __After Oniwakamaru collapses in an earth shattering thump, everything is silent. _

_Fireflies hover their deserting lights in front of a pair of large, brown eyes. _

_The man left standing breathes heavy, strolls over with no flinch and begins to drink the antidote to cure the one night mushroom poison, before he collapses from exhaustion. …He barely makes out the sight of Fuu crawling to the dying monster… Not to him. _

_The vagrant realizes she meant for both of them to drop their weapons. Mugen hadn't. _

_The ex-criminal is worse than the colossus freak; no hesitation, no pity…no guilt. Maybe he enjoys the kill. _

* * *

><p>And the second time—he laid on the ground, death right in the corners of his fading conscious, the goze assassin's kama-yari hanging overhead…and then a<em> scream, a beg for mercy when he wasn't capable of it<em>. Mugen didn't like to revisit that.

In the heat of everything, the samurai chasing after, hearing the familiar sharp cry from the distance…seeing _her_ pushed up against the tree like that, Mugen close to lost all sense of inner control, could've without difficulty killed the man right here after seeing _pure red_. One more shove into the tree, harder than the previous, the vagabond madly turned to the female for a final vindication of mercy.

"Please, don't! He hasn't hurt me!"

With a small swear, the blade slid back into its scabbard, and Izanagi dropped free from the grip. He collapsed alongside the tree bark. Coughing continually, the skin he rubbed would eventually smear in an unsightly purplish-blue tint. Instantly, Mugen reached out for the girl, pulling forcefully onto her wrist. "C'mon! Now!"

Zori and geta began to hit the road in a run.

"Wh-what's going on? Where are we going?!"

"Someone, being that _asshole_, told the government we're here. We've been wanted since back in Fukui. I'll explain later." She knew that wasn't him over thinking it; it _was_ Izanagi who had called the Nagoya brigade of police… But he didn't even realize what a foolish action that was. He was trying to protect her. That's all…

With them gone, the hatamoto samurai arrived shortly afterwards, immediately confronting the b-boy. Hesitantly, Izanagi indicated down a path beaten by numerous, unrecognizable prints. "They… _He_ went that way."

Turning his bruised cheek and black eye away from their view, he'd pointed left.

"Thank you sir. Let's move!"

_The wanted duo had veered right. _

Brushing the snow from the many creases of the happi coat, Yutaka Izanagi—a break-dancer good with the ladies— stood…not without wincing from the painful soreness shooting throughout his torso. He gave a laid-back sigh, and began to fix the knotted headband gone crooked after the attack…

On the ground scattered the remains of a trampled anemone flower; it must have fallen out of the girl's obi, where she'd once sloppily tucked it. The b-boy bent down to pick up one of the crushed, ruined petals.

'_Maybe I'm just a playboy fool after all…only falling for the one girl I could never claim.'_

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><p>They were still running. "Mugen." He ignored it the first time. "Mugen!" and the second.<p>

"MUGEN!"

"WHAT?!"

"What's going on?! Why are we being chased down like this?!"

When the wanderer came to an abrupt halt ahead, she unexpectedly crashed into his back, flinching at the contact. Practically throwing her wrist from his grasp that kept it, he turned back around…scanning each inch of her stunned expression with impatience, _almost hostility. _She'd almost forgotten about how they'd argued earlier; how she was pushing her limits with the sinful criminal…how he didn't believe they would ever find Jin and voiced that perhaps they should split ways. It was strange then, that he dragged her all the way out here.

He looked away, "Do you remember back in Fukui in the fall…do you remember those samurai I fought off when you were waitressing? The time when I forgot my sword and you bandaged me up?"

"Yeah but-"

"I lied to you. Well…I didn't _lie_. Those seven samurai were gonna try ta' rape you. I heard 'em say it. But that wasn't all. They were searching for you to eliminate." Even while the gasp escaped her, he pressed on with the explanation. "When the three of us were travelin' together before, we had a lotta' people out to kill us for the shit we were doin' in each province. Then, we had people with personal ties too. Like that samurai who caused Fish Face to kill his master, and those Satsuma Domain brothers after me. Those records never died… They probably just neglected 'em 'cause we'd been off the radar for so damn long. Over a year. And they were probably looking for a trio and weren't expectin' us to have split ways…. And after what we did in Edo, me attackin' that dude harassin' you…he must'a brought us back to the attention a' the government."

"Tadaaki Shinji was a daimyo's son, and had strong pull in Edo… And my father was a member of the Shimabara Rebellion: a cryptic Christian. The shogunate…are probably after us… Oh god…"

"And I'm from the Ryukyu's…an ex-criminal wanted for piracy and with a lot a' other shit on my record."

"Why didn't you just tell me earlier that we're being chased down again? You could have told me all those weeks ago!" she yelled, tugging at his haori desperately when he wouldn't look to her.

"I didn't, I didn't want ya to have to worry 'bout this anymore, alright?! It was supposed to be a simple journey to find Four-Eyes… Now we're not just searchin', girlie." The snowflakes above grew heavier, fuller as they fell… Their weary gazes locked. "We're runnin'."

After that, Mugen pressed on, Fuu following the stilted prints a few feet back with no other subject to speak about. So, they were going to keep traveling after all…seeing how there was little choice when concerning the hatamoto shogunate's vassals lingered in the city. Outside of Nagoya, they moved on a merchant's route packed down by shoes, oxen hooves and carriage wheels…empty currently with the recent change in weather. The elevated road was quite secluded with just the man in red and woman in pink. It emerged over a much lower field—the dip on the left created a steep decline that eventually flattened into a wide expanse of rice fields, the shallow water layered by a thin sheet of ice, and the few remaining plants sheltered by dull threadbare tarp. Though not incredibly cold, many crops surely couldn't survive and more would be replanted in spring. To the right, the road past an impenetrable forest—the black, snarly lines sticking out were cursed by winter—leafless, and appearing on the verge of death in its current state.

Fuu mostly kept attention on the ankles ringed by faded ink ahead, on _Mugen_…close to fuming, whose hardened gaze stayed fixed on the thoroughfare. After a while of nothing mentioned about the incident with Izanagi by the girl, he could no longer contain his vehemence.

"Why the fuck did you protect that asshole." He didn't even wait for an answer, or take in the startled stare. "I even said he was gonna try to take advantage of you! And he almost… Why the fuck didn't you just let _me_ take care of him?!"

"I told you already, Izanagi didn't do anything!"

He turned around. "What the hell do you mean he didn't _do _anything?! If he was so _saintly_, then why did ya scream for help?!"

"Well…" she kicked at the snow. "He tried kissing me."

White particles gathered atop untidy black hair and wide shoulders without end, eventually melting into nothingness. Meanwhile…the dumbfounded gawk remained. "…He tried kissing you? And…you screamed…for _that_?"

"I was afraid he'd try to force himself on me like you said he would. You _were_ right that he was the type to treat a girl to dinner…and then…_go with her_…not pursuing any relationship afterwards. _BUT_ Izanagi backed off when I refused to kiss him… He was friendly and generous. Sure, he dated a lot of girls that were at the festival. But he wasn't a _bad_ guy. Izanagi enjoyed female attention flocking to him and wasn't the kind to force himself on a girl. If anything, the guy was trying to win my affections rather than _rape_ me. You were wrong."

Mugen close to killed a guy because Fuu almost got kissed… When he thought about that, not withholding a scowl, he realized it wouldn't have bothered him too much. If Fuu wanted Izanagi dead…he probably would've killed the poor guy. Not long was there time given to consider such uncharacteristic things.

These next words floated from out of nowhere, "What is a kiss supposed to mean, anyway?"

"Hah?"

"Just…_the idea _that he tried kissing me, a girl he _barely_ knew; that _bothers _me still. Even if he wasn't some _weirdo creep _or_ pervert, _it's like…like such an intimate action doesn't matter at all to him." Fuu added.

After hearing that, amusement failed to be contained. It started in the pit of the stomach, bubbling as a small snort…then a louder one, until Mugen was fully cracking up, outright _laughing_ at the naïve wench.

"Wha… What's so funny?" her whole face tightened.

"Your frickin' _virgin_ _mindset_, that's what. First ya screamed about how he almost kissed you, and you're_ still_ whinin' and cryin' about it." Completely going hysterical by then, he had to rub at his watering eyes, once again walking onward.

"It doesn't _mean_ anything to you either?" she too started forward.

"A kiss? Tch. Nope."

"So all men are really like that?!"

"You're livin' a fairytale if ya think men are all sugar an' sweet. You led the guy on. Obviously he was expectin' more than just friendly lil' heart to hearts…" Mugen paused… Oh… He got it now.

He grinned cleverly,"And ya know what it sounds like? See, I _know_ you're a virgin from that brothel scheme in Hikone. …But _I think_ you've never even had your _first lil' kiss_ yet. That's why you're all hot an' bothered."

"T-that's not… I-I have had my f-first kiss!"

He caught how Fuu's face went a dazzling red when he glanced sideways. That made the devilish smirk grow all the wider, "You big liar."

"Shut up! I_ have_!" she claimed, lingering a second longer under the scrutiny than wanted.

"…Then, who was your first kiss?"

"It's none of your business!"

This time, she didn't make the same mistake of looking him right in the eye.

…That somehow came as a shocker. Obviously she wasn't still with whatever guy or _guys_ she'd kissed before, so there shouldn't be any reason to be worked up over it. Unless…

Immediately, an individual came to mind for Mugen—a fair-skinned ronin, donning glasses and dark blue—providing a clear cut explanation to why Fuu wasn't with whoever_ he_ was now. All of a sudden…that gave the vagrant a queasy sensation pulling at his insides.

"And it's not just the kissing part that bothers me. I've been thinking about some things Izanagi said to me."

"Well if you're hung up on the dumbass 'cause he complimented ya, now ain't exactly the best time since those government Hatamoto dweebs are-"

"I'm _not_ hung up on him! Honestly, he wasn't my type and I was hesitant about the date from the start." she said. Once again, this astounded Mugen since he was so _sure_ she'd been infatuated with the kid. "It wasn't compliments that I'm thinking about. It was more like…some faults he saw in me. He basically said that I was naïve in thinking being physical with someone is_ only_ for when you possess feelings for them. And he also said one of the reasons I couldn't be interested in anyone…is because I'm holding out for y-"

Certain words or_ a certain person_ had almost been declared. This fumble luckily went avoided. "…I-I'm _holding out_ for someone. Izanagi said if I continue to, I'll never be able to live a normal life where I'm happy. But I…always thought I'm _supposed_ to hold out so I can find someone I have feelings for. And then I'll be happy..."

_Jin. Jin. Jin_. All Mugen kept thinking was Jin. Earlier this afternoon, they'd already discussed that they may not locate the drifting swordsman; easily making the missing samurai a candidate for someone she'd "held out" for. That peculiar feeling in his gut returned, growing worse.

On rambled the girl, unaffected by the snowfall folding around their tired outlines on the lonely road. She _never_ shut up.

"It just seems like _every _guy that shows interest in me either wants to kill me, rape me, or expects intimacy even if I don't like them! Can't I be desired back as a…a long and committed partner? Or, j-just as a friend that _slowly _grows into something else? Something more?" she beseeched for an answer; a _direct_ answer from the person beside specifically.

He didn't understand that. "Sound's really hypocritical ta' me. Let me get this straight; you're upset he tried to kiss you. But ya want guys like that kid to _like you_ even if ya _don't _put out? You think all men are that whipped?!"

"NO! I want a guy to actually have_ feelings_ for me before he goes and tries to kiss me!"

They paused. Somehow, Fuu managed to miss the peculiar way his jaw stiffened…

"Can I just ask you some things, Mugen? I know you must think a lot like Izanagi since…you're a _guy_ after all and you've had your…_experience_ with women." Multiple times when the questions left, her head rose…then fell to greet the dirt and snow, rise again, fall again. She knew with each glance, that _his_ stare however…wasn't leaving anytime soon, "I always thought that _being _with someone is important…like a…a deeper connection between two people, and that goes for kissing and sex both. Am I wrong in thinking being physically involved should be meant for _after_ feelings have developed for that person? Does being intimate mean _nothing_ to people anymore?!"

When they stopped for the third time, not looking directly at each other, this easily made the record for becoming the oddest, most_ uncomfortable_ thing they'd ever discussed. If anything, Mugen was literally _the worst_ person to ask such inquiries to. …Every woman _he_ kissed in the past were only those he had sex with or planned to have sex with; those women's faces and names were long forgotten and not a single one of them would make the cut of being "loved". All these things being spout off drove the ex-criminal further to the brink of insanity…which had never been too far anyway.

_He didn't want to hear about kissing, and intimacy and holding out for someone special._ _He didn't want to fucking hear any of this girly shit._

To conclude, after no answers, the final question got asked. "I guess basically…what I'm asking is: what should a kiss mean for someone like _me_?"

A sneer escaped, not before the eye-roll. "That's a lot a frickin' questions you're askin' me that I really don't feel like answerin'. But I guess the easiest way to put it is: a kiss can mean _whatever_ the hell you want it to mean, girlie. Whatever floats your damn boat."

The distance between the conflicting individuals augmented when Fuu re-began a small trot forward. Fuu knew this was wrong to be fishing for a specific answer from Mugen…to ask these questions in order for him to bite the bait—_to take the damn hint already_! Couldn't he understand what she was asking? "So then…should I be waiting to be intimate with a man? Should I even be holding out for someone…? Or is that stupid like Izanagi said?" She kept walking faster. "You know what? Never mind. You're not the right person to ask. You go to _brothels. _You have casual sex _all_ the time. You don't even think about things like this. Like…feelings… What was I _thinking, _asking _you_?!"

Taking the lead on their footpath, passing her companion…she failed to notice how the vagabond went mute.

"I wish I could ask Jin about this. For him, being intimate means _a lot_ more than it does for you. He'd understand."

The pair of wooden clogs began to urgently gain on her heels. That too failed to be noticed by the younger of the pair.

"Or maybe_…I really am_ thinking too old-fashioned about "romance". Izanagi was right about me. I'm…holding_ out_, holding _on _to something that doesn't work in real life. What am I even holding onto anymore? Why bother traveling when I could just...settle down. Maybe a stupid, little thing like a kiss isn't meant to _mean_ this much. It isn't meant for l-"

She felt the sudden breath of hot air on the nape of her neck…then a firm grip on her wrist. Crushing fingers encircled it, and stayed like that for a long second. Neither party moved. Neither said another word.

And then, Fuu was whipped around in such a brief moment, that she barely noticed…how bruising that clasp became; the pressure caused her trusting irises to widen in something not anywhere _close_ to fear, but not distant from confusion. The owner of the chocolate hued perusal didn't even get the chance to see the harsh, calculation bearing into her. He'd pulled her closer. If she had, she would've witnessed a strange sight. What was that _look_? _Passion?_

Dewy flakes of transparent white surrounded them, while the arctic wind wailed a foreign tune. In spite of that, the young woman found herself burning up.

Her _muffled_,_ broken_ whimper went unheard.

Fuu felt lips; _his lips _crash forcefully into her own.

He'd somehow pried her mouth open fully, greedily_…hungrily_—everything the girl could have possible imagined in the way he kissed; just like how he fought, how he _lived_—consuming every area that she'd unintentionally granted full access. …The feeling, the_ softness, _became the only registry to flutter trembling lashes closed.

While the girl pressed against him did not oblige this advance…nor did she make any effort to resist it. No balled fists bashed against his broadened chest like he'd half-expected. No shove of her weak palms denied how he still firmly contained one wrist…and his other hand cradled the back of her head, the brunette locks through his bony fingers a satisfying silkiness against calloused skin. And still. This was wrong. Mugen knew it. He knew it when his tongue slipped past her wall of teeth, lapping at everything she shouldn't have left unguarded. _Knew it when she didn't move, didn't bother to return the gesture_; it sank in. Fuu was as motionless as something dead in his dirty, _filthy_ clutches. He needed to stop, pull away; this foreign taste was too intoxicating. Too sugary…like the honey filled castellan cake she'd paid for almost a year and a half ago…the only sweet thing he'd ever eaten in his whole life…

_Too pure._

Fuu didn't know it, but with every harsh gnash, flick of the tongue and brutal crushing of his mouth, it was a veiled plea: return the kiss or push him away. Do _something_ besides stand there.

Warm… She was_ so _warm while winter entrapped them. And even when she felt this _hot_, she froze, didn't have time to register anything. He moved so fast, so…_Mugen_. Her body shut down. While his hand held up one arm, the other hung at the side of her hip.… Everything just…went _blank _as he continued to mold his mouth into hers, _demanding _a response. _She didn't even know what to do!_ …How to return it; whether to apply more pressure on his bottom lip…or return the caress of the way he roughly laved his tongue over hers in full dominance…

So the girl did nothing. She stood there. Confused. Still. _Frozen._

But Fuu was _going _to kiss him back. She really was…with an amount of fervor that would've surprised them both.

And right when she was about to, or at least give an attempt_—about to admit everything, pour out everything, every shattering facet her heart held in every day for too many days to remember, shallowly buried beneath wistful hesitation_—something happened first.

Mugen pulled away…

Before Fuu could gladly deepen it, could _fully_ return it, the warmness spreading to the tips of inert fingers, and stagnated toes vanished; _into coldness_. Early January's cruel frigidness swallowed everything up once more.

It'd been quick, that one-sided kiss for Mugen; not making a half a minute.

_Forever_ had been the time span for Fuu. And it felt so incomplete.

A threaded exhale scarcely stroked her lips again; an ethereal remnant of the _heat_ radiating from every inch of him that she craved to re-embrace.

The seventeen year old got the answer she wanted. In that moment, she was convinced her ex-bodyguard proved that maybe...a kiss _did_ matter. At least, it would matter between them. They could _be_ more and maybe…maybe-

"It don't hold the same significance as you were thinkin'. You kiss. It's over. There's nothin' _magical_ about it."

When brown eyes shyly reopened, he'd already taken several steps back.

He just kissed Fuu.

And she'd _done nothing_ about it, stood as firm as stone. No reaction. _Emptiness._ That probably made him pull away more than anything else.

Mugen_ hadn't_ done it because her little pout looked so pink and sweet, or how he _seethed _when she hung out with that dumbass, or because he wanted to do something even her date couldn't. Definitely, it had nothing to do with how _cold_ she looked and he wanted to show her how _warm _she could be encircled by his arms… It had nothing to with the absolute _certainty _that Jin was the man she kissed before or—_and_—had been "holding out for" all this time, or that he _didn't want_ her to hold out for Jin anymore, or because he wanted to _fully ruin that_. Neither was it because some guilty—filthy—desire was covered by lies for far too long; the same desire repeatedly hurled to a forgotten place in his fucking head.

At least…that's what Mugen would've _liked_ to believe.

_He just wanted her to shut up. _

It'd been done to prove a point. An action like that didn't _have to _mean you wanted to display a physical want like Izanagi. And IT SURE AS HELL didn't _have to_ mean you already developed feelings for someone like what Fuu wanted from a man either: _a man that wasn't either Izanagi…or him_. A stupid kiss didn't have to mean _anything_.

Regrettably, Mugen began to ponder if he was _wrong _about that too…about _everything_ for that matter. Because…these were excuses only thought of_ after_ he kissed her… _Originally, it'd been done on an animalistic impulse, just like everything else. Instinct. _

Syllables fumbled, "I…I…thought-"

He didn't bother to listen to the small, incoherent stutter. The male effortlessly slid right on past the shoulders that probably were shaking even while he hadn't stayed long enough to witness it—didn't want to. "I didn't feel nothin' from it. You _obviously_ didn't feel _nothin'_ since you didn't return it. And that dumb bastard you went out with? He wanted _somethin' _from ya eventually 'cause he didn't even _know_ you. And he sure as hell had no "developed feelings" for you either. Least not yet. What I'm trying to say is, it's just a simple fuckin' gesture that you're takin' way too damn serious."

Fuu was more than sure the insides of her chest just shattered like glass, repeatedly cutting against her lungs. Couldn't breathe… Still, she kept some tiny ounce of…hope? That the swordsman actually _felt_ something; that _heated_ sensation? _Why?_

…Because she'd lied… Fearing the jerk would ridicule her innocence…she'd lied.

_Little did Mugen know_, he'd hit the nail right on the damn head earlier, and pushed it deep beneath her pale, frost encased skin, cutting far into bundles of nerves, _and bundles of more lies._

She'd never had her first kiss. Until now, that is. And it was going to great waste.

Delicate little hands clenched together forcefully enough that their pink painted nails were no doubt making them bleed.

Not an effort was made to follow the man when the knot in her throat came undone. In the revolting stillness of the heavily trodden road…ironically filled with none but two wayward souls, it—a dismal note hitting the sky, and dropping back to earth—echoed across the open fields of rice patties to their immediate left and dug viciously through the decaying tree line to their right.

"What the _HELL_ was that?!"

"Whatdya' mean "_what the hell was that_"?!"

Finally, Fuu spun on her heels, _glaring_ from the several feet. There would be no end to her anger…or the rekindled warmth… Except, it wasn't _warm_ anywhere. The back of her esophagus blazed. Droplets of freshly formed liquid smoldered so badly that visual perception of the vagabond standing ahead went blurry. "You can't just ki-_do that_ and expect me to just keep on walking like that was nothing!"

"That's the whole point. It _was_ nothing."

"H-how was that _nothing_?! You did the same thing Izanagi- NO, you actually did it! Why would _you_ do that to me?!" Only after that, did the heartless raven-haired vagrant re-approach, towards the direction of the city—towards her—even though it'd be more logical if they kept a steadfast gait to the southwest. She gasped. Foolish Fuu almost thought he was going to lean in for another kiss. If the man did, he would've met no resistance.

He didn't. "You still don't get it, do you. I ain't Izanagi. I don't _want_ you. And I ain't Jin. I don't have _feelings_ for you either. I was proving my point that a kiss can mean _whatever_ you want it to, remember? In our case, it was_ just_ a kiss."

Lost in those dark and brooding orbs, _so overwhelming just like his mouth_…the words spoken weren't understood. Something about Izanagi…and Jin…and them… "You-I…."

Then it registered.

Oh.

So that's how it is. It was just a kiss. JUST a kiss.

Didn't he have any idea that she'd never_ once_ been kissed in that way her entire life?! Couldn't he tell she'd _lied _when he'd asked? This was a _big reason_ she was so riled up over a guy she didn't like—Izanagi—trying. She _planned_ on saving her very first kiss, _holding out_ for someone special, because so far no man had ever…_ever_ been the one she imagined to_ be_ with. _Not even JIN who was CONSTANTLY assumed to be the one by Mugen._

But it was more than all that. Not just any male that stumbled along could make her mind go blank…then could make her pulse rise or fall like playing the very strums of her heart. Not just any guy should be _the one_, since they'd never protected her or saved her, or _went back for her_ in her daunting hours of need too many times. Not just any man would be the one she would tend to, and care for…and cry miserable tears over for hazy, unspoken reasons.

Except for one. And he _did _matter. Ooooooh yes; the biggest asshole in all of Japan mattered a whole lot.

Of course _he_ didn't know that.

Because obviously, _she didn't matter to him. _And this all wouldn't be such a big smack in the face if she hadn't imagined kissing him before.

And Fuu HAD envisioned kissing_ him_ before; more than once and a lot more times unaccounted for. Sometimes there were dreams of it…always with syrupy words and reassuring touches. Never like the real thing. Upon waking up from those many imaginings, it'd been unwillingly realized that _one_ ruffle-haired ryukyuan with the crafty sneer were what the dreams were _always _about. Curses had been put on him, and herself, but mainly on the cruel world that made the young woman feel this way—chest thrashing, madly, painfully—when their stares met from separate sides of a room, or through the white tendrils of smoke from a dead bonfire mounting to the earlier morning sky that they each had fallen asleep beside. Even on the first journey…she'd imagined it. More than a few instances, she'd woken up_ petrified_ a name had been said in the midst of her slumber…and one of her two bodyguards may have heard.

"Mugen…"

Of course, she wouldn't let _him_ know any of that either.

"They don't hafta' matter, _alright_?! So quit bitchin' and makin' a huge ass deal about it! People kiss every day. Hell, they _screw _total strangers! You know how many women I kissed in my lifetime? A LOT, broad. Never cared for a single one." Never cared for a single one… Well…now he did: one person. They already established that earlier this afternoon.

And the sweet little sunflower scent searcher had never been anything like those bitter brothel whores of the past.

Fuu was the essence of pureness, not to be trifled with by the malicious hands of men that could easily break her. The clumsy, trouble-seeking brunette would get hurt too easily if someone wasn't there to catch her at the last second. That's one reason why he couldn't leave, couldn't up and walk away like he'd always threatened…back when Jin—_her lovely little samurai_—could have taken Kasumi Seizou's daughter on the trip alone. Somehow Mugen got…too attached…almost _possessive_. That very, sickening thought formed a penetrating rumble beating into his skull; _a taunt that he too was sinful, he would taint her, ruin her, just like all the rest._

Somewhere along the line, Fuu became untouchable; even for him.

Then, Mugen fully believed…that Jin may have kissed her all that time ago. And now he had… He didn't get why the urge rang so strongly.

It was like she was indirectly reading these thoughts, asking the same questions that detained a large lack of answers. "I-I-I can't believe you! Why would you do something like that after all I said?!"

Mugen visually grimaced, "Dear_ God_, calm your crazy ass down! I was planning on you to get my point and at least start shuttin' up. But you can't stop spewin' bullshit once you start!"

"How could you expect me to react casually like that?! WHAT_ POINT_?!"

"I was _proving _a point! I went with plenty a' women and did a_ hell_ lot more than kissin' and I don't even remember 'em! SEE?! A kiss counts for shit!" he spat back. The validity to his claims were an ugly truth when referring to the faceless courtesans. Except…when was the last time he'd had sex? Weeks? A month? Two months? _Longer?_

Once again; the mention of tramps painted up in their false charms and loveless souls didn't make sense. Another reason being: Fuu was the only girl he ever remembered… But Fuu was the girl he never had sex with. For some reason…he felt pretty perplexed by that.

She re-drilled_ that_ in too.

"I'm not one of the WHORES you go to _screw_ at the brothels! I'M _ME_!"

Fuu was also the _only_ woman who hadn't kissed him back… He was sure she wasn't interested in him now; the ex-criminal thought he was relieved that there was no girly crush she'd withheld. …But there was no _resistance_ either. Why? Was she _scared _when the deed was committed, petrified badly enough that she couldn't react? All this crammed into his over encumbered brain; a coherent response couldn't even be thought up. Instead, Fuu continued.

"YOU ASSHOLE! How, how dare you! I-we- You_ molested_ me!"

She accused him of being the bad guy. _He was supposed_ to be the one who took what he wanted without a second thought, pillaged and pilfered till his heart was satisfied; never helped another human being unless there were rewards worth every painstaking minute. But he didn't do that with her. Ever.

"Molested?! It was a KISS, not like I stole your virginity. FUCK!"

"It might as well have been since you_ stole_ it, you idiot!" Pirates stole things. Everyone knew that. Once a criminal, always a criminal. What did she expect?

"Stole what? A SHITTY FUCKING ONE-SIDED KISS? Gimme' a break!"

"My fir-…"

It didn't go unnoticed by the perceptive male…how fast the fierce glower lowered… Her balling hands quickly swung against her hips while she continued down their path.

Mugen didn't budge. Adam's apple bouncing up, the unnatural weight of it plunged back down into his gullet. He'd _assumed_ her and Jin… Oh no…

No, no, no, no. She said… How the HELL was he supposed to know she was lying?! He knew she was innocent but he didn't think the seventeen year old really didn't_ kiss_ anyone yet! Even if it wasn't Jin, it could've been _anyone_ for that matter; some kid before they'd met or some boyfriend after they'd all split ways. _Those guys _would be the innocent first kiss; definitely not the kind to take her breath way_. Not him. _No wonder she froze up…she didn't know_ how _to react. And to Mugen's view, he thought Fuu_ was_ afraid.

"Your first…I… Shit."

_In some weird way, Mugen felt as if he'd tainted her after all…_ With something so damn trivial; not something that remained important to everyone else, like sex or marriage or whatever. Just a kiss. Only because something stupid like a first kiss mattered this much, it mattered for him too… A lot like the sunflower samurai, and her pet flying squirrel, and pink kimonos, and Jin's glasses and _keeping his tanto, and bandaging his wounds, and buying him a birthday gift, and holding his hand before they broke away,_ and EVERYTHING else pointless that mattered to her…it ended up mattering for Mugen.

That's why she was upset the whole time. He understood it all now; she_ had_ been holding out for someone in particular…and that someone most definitely wasn't a lawless, penniless, faithless dog… He already figured who: _tall, dark and four-eyed; a samurai with loyalty, and honor, and a life to provide._

Somehow…somewhere in the depths of unfed desire… more than guilt, there lingered _bitterness_.

He jogged carefully behind. Upon catching up, the female couldn't be urged to meet an honest stare, "Hey, if what just happened bothers ya _that_ much, forget it ever happened. I told you, it was nothing. So let it go. I won't even mention it again."

The girl who hid flushed cheeks behind wind tossed hair didn't understand how_ that could_ be forgotten.

* * *

><p>Daylight further died off with every step made from the starting point to their still unknown destination. Long ago, the open fields of planted rice ended. Rotted trees instead replaced the patties, their branches accompanying both sides, concaving in on the thinning dirt trail. Not a word, or a whisper, <em>nothing<em> had been said for the entire three and a half miles they traversed from the danger's seeping out of Nagoya's borders. Like it always did, the silence poisoned the air, and amplified louder than anything the foolish travelers could say. This silence unnerved the taller of the twosome; gave the man _so much anxiety_ that he would do pretty much anything to get the other to speak.

Through the stillness, a gruff slew of words cut through. "You haven't said a damn thing in over an hour…which I consider a blessing by the way."

No response. The sunlight was leaving them.

He tried again…less rudely, "Listen, if you're still…pissed off about me bein' your first kiss-"

"I'm not." Fuu interrupted rather fast, continuing a maintained pace while Mugen's fell back a half step.

He caught up again, grabbing onto a cherry pink kimono sleeve; _not an arm, not that smooth, pure, untouchable skin_. She easily ripped free of the hold.

"Look you little brat, I ain't _good_ with spellin' out apologies. So hear me out for once. What I'm tryin' to say is, I'm sor-"

She didn't _want_ Mugen to be sorry about it! Out of all the things never once apologized for…this shouldn't be the only one meant… "I told you already I'm _not_ mad! I thought you wouldn't mention it again!"

"It just_ ain't_ _you, alright?_ Usually you can't ever shut that big fat mouth a' yours. So…if it's about me not tellin' you earlier that the government's chasing after us-"

"And it's not that!"

"Then what's this whole silent shit about?! I had enough a' that back with Four-Eyes!" He didn't know that she didn't know what to say. Things couldn't just be_ made_ normal again…not after what they shared… "…Is this about that argument at the inn in the city earlier today? About…what I said about me an' you? All that shit I yelled about back there, I just had a lot a' stuff on my mind, that's all. It wasn't you." The untamed gape softened.

Too bad Fuu never faced Mugen the whole time to see. "…I'm not mad about that either. Besides…I should've never said all those horrible things to you in Nagoya."

Maybe those ruthless statements were true. Maybe he was a lot worse than Izanagi…_and Jin_.

The young woman continued, "And…I…shouldn't have made any presumptions about _us _either. _I'm_ sorry."

Presumptions about what? If he cared about her? That wasn't a presumption: _she'd been absolutely right back there._

Carefully, craftily a double meaning slipped in through the apology. Presumptions about their fight at the inn yes… However, Fuu meant presumptions about _his feelings_ towards her… They were after all…presumptions… Or more. _Hopes… _

"Don't be. I wouldn't have pulled ya out of Nagoya so fast…if I didn't sorta care. And I wouldn't have beaten that Izanagi kid up if I didn't think he tried to hurt you. Alright? There, I frickin' said it."

Under any other circumstance, she would have been beyond happy to hear the words, maybe even teased about it,or blushed and stuttered. Under any other circumstance, he wouldn't have said it.

In their current state…Fuu just wanted to cry… _More false hopes._ All those times he went back for her…saved her…it was never out of some deep rooted romantic sentiment, she realized. It was his sense of obligation…his sworn duty… And the idea that he never held a sense of "duty" before meeting her and Jin created a whimsical _hope _that it was something more. But it wasn't; all that time it wasn't. Fuu knew she'd always be a little helpless girl, something to pity for the vagrant. Nothing else.

"…I'm not really mad about anything actually. I guess I just don't really feel like talking. We should probably find a place to sleep, huh. It'll get chillier tonight…" then, the small mutter was finalized by another one of those sighs she always gave...

_Another reason his insides twisted…_

With each added step on the road paved in further unspoken words, Fuu realized more and more how right Izanagi had been: feelings exceeding that of friendship for the harsh ex-pirate came to light—_blinding_ light. All this time tagging along on this crazy journey, Fuu thought she'd be okay, that just being by his side again would be enough; dreaming of what could be…_would_ be enough. And now…with Mugen saying he felt absolutely nothing after kissing her, the rest of her dreamy, childish and romantic hopes died off.

Maybe it was better if they split ways…or never bumped into each other in Edo at all.

These doubts however, didn't stop the unconscious desire rippling through her fingers. Repeatedly, the uninhibited urge to trace her now slightly bruising mouth went denied. She promised herself she wouldn't.

* * *

><p>Eventually they found lodgings that evening at a tiny woodcutter's cabin. The owner of the lodge allowed them to stay in the cramped closet-sized room to maintain privacy from the strangers. It could barely fit one; two plainly pushed it. Fuu believed it was another sign of her bad luck.<p>

When the insufferable jackass huddled under a mound of blankets, Fuu felt her resolve fragment watching his back slowly rise and fall from the tiny, pathetic excuse of a distance. Actually, if she reached her arm out…she'd be able to touch his back.

Once in the dark, Mugen rolled over…and she was _sure_ to have seen some small glint there, obscured by endless shadows...and revealed by a tiny candlestick mounted on the wall… _Passionate_ eyes on hers. Afterward, with an added groan, the man rolled back over the other way. She must've romanticized it. She always did.

Each second more…the promise made on the road went forgotten. Slender fingers caressed the contours of her lips; _the place where ones tasting like sweat…and something like an ocean spray hitting the banks of a rocky shoreline _had pressed so deeply. She felt pathetic…

She'd just have to forget about it. Or, Fuu could pretend that things would go back to the way they'd used to be; when falling for the buffoon would have been the biggest cosmic joke the universe had to offer.

But that was a lie too…because these feelings weren't spontaneous; they'd sat there for a while, and kept on setting in, gradually, _steadily_, until subtly eventually burned itself out. Realization hit hard.

She'd been feeling _something _for him…for a pretty long time. When it started…she couldn't believe she hadn't fully accepted it sooner… Looking back on one of the most terrifying experiences of her life…the moment must have been then: _the very first time Fuu thought she'd lost him._

* * *

><p><em>There is a large, ear splitting boom from nearby, yet she can't hear it… The bright flashes of yellow and orange as the ship bursts into hell are all Fuu fully takes in. <em>

"_MUGEN!" Fuu doesn't even grasp that it is her screaming helplessly, she almost thinks it is the ryukyuan female beside her. But it isn't. It's her._

"_Mugen. I can't believe he's dead." Koza, his childhood friend sobs into a hand, crouching down as her whimpers progress. Little did they know at the time, that they are clever tears…only used as a ploy… _

_But Fuu… She stands there, not feeling the stabbing chills of the heavy rain pelting against her motionless body. She watches as the flame consumed boat sinks ever so slowly, reigniting the fact that her bodyguard is gone: lost to the black waves of death, rolling over each other, burying him further into cold, endless water. The girl won't accept it. This is all lie._

"_That would never happen." she speaks calmly; it scares her. Then, it clicks in. Her fists tighten…her shoulders tense…and the stinging in her eyes is not from that of the salty, bitter ocean. "MUGEN WOULDN'T DIE THAT EASILY!" Darting from the pier, Fuu hopes to run somewhere so she doesn't have to see it sink…deeper…and deeper…._

"_Calm yourself." Jin states, grabbing a hold of her arm and she tries to escape._

"_But-!"_

"_Calm yourself." he repeats…and still it provides little comfort. Her eyes open, but they can't stay that way for long as the burning sensation returns. Another glance revisits the dying ship…the death of Mugen… and the birth of more tears replaces the fading visage of the decimated vessel engulfed by ribbons of crimson fire._

_Even Jin—as calm and caring as he is—can't keep her there._

_Ripping away from the grip, feet keep running along the shoreline, even while nothing can be seen ten feet ahead of her… even when she trips on craggily rocks…slipping on the smooth, wet sand that impedes her sprints for hours…and hours…and hours. Fuu doesn't stop. She can't. She refuses to. Because, he wouldn't stop if it were her that disappeared. The only thing that matters is that she must find him. _

_While uncountable moments pass, the downpour subsides… The happy sun that rises is laughing at her; how time is faster than any desperate effort she could possibly give. _

_After running for so long to who knows where…she can't move, her feet protest… Everything hurts, aches…but her chest is burning horridly more than anything else. _

_If he is the one drowning, why is it her that can't breathe?_

_Despite how air is a taunting gift not to be caught, a single phrase manages to be whispered. A single name. "Mugen…"_

_And when she sees the body there—finds him there—all tangled up in a constricting web of sea soaked fisherman's twine…something died in her too. The burden of it all presses down hard, and frail hands and knees collapse, and don't even feel the silky sand beneath… Everything is gritty, and harsh and unfair… More tears flourish in these sorrows...more incomprehensible words she cannot even hear…more thoughts of how much she wishes she could've tried harder to stop him from going. When he walked away, she could've called his name louder, grabbed his arm… _

_Could've saved him…_

_Then she hears a sputter. And a small cough. _

* * *

><p>After that, Fuu vowed she'd never stand by and watch as death would overtake him… Maybe that was the very beginning to what was to be a long trail of misguided, one-sided affection… Or maybe fate intended it from the get-go. Either way, these emotions couldn't be denied any longer.<p>

Fuu got up. Making way outside, the biting cold of midnight nipped hatefully at her exposed skin… Reaching into tight bindings—where it was tucked against her heart—she pulled out the fortune teller's card from the Hatsu-Ebisu Festival; accented by the shade figure surrounded by fire. The shadow of passion. _All lies. _She ripped it in half. When that wasn't enough, she ripped it again…and again, tore it until there were nothing left besides a paper's defiled carcass, little shreds blown away to some forgotten place in the dark, decaying woods. She didn't bother to look up at the many stars out tonight…the ones Fuu could never find throughout the journey…the ones that always watched from overhead.

Without a change in her frozen expression, the girl went back into the hut, didn't look at the man a few steps away and collapsed onto the sleeping mat.

_Their kiss meant nothing. That's what Mugen believed._

The worst thing that bothered Fuu was a large part of her tried to bury itself away like it always did_; a part unguarded from the sickening torrents of emotion that rained down every time she imagined what they shared…and reimagined…and reimagined again. _But she couldn't pretend anymore_! _She knew what these feelings were now. There'd be recurrent dreams...

The newly exposed part of Fuu very much wanted the kiss_, _her first kiss, _that specific kiss_, to mean something.

With no other thought, exhaustion came by to visit. So did the dreams.

_When he kissed Fuu, he'd felt nothing. That's what Mugen said._

Only when the woman was asleep for sure, did the dilapidated floorboards between them make a slight creak.

Mugen, who got up in the midst of the night to take a thoughtful walk_ without_ her knowledge…was beginning to feel _more and more_ like a bad liar.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _WHAT, you thought a Fuugen kiss could just patch up their relationship? That they'd just make up and make out? Right? Right?! WRONG! MUHAHAHAHAH! I am Fenrir's Lockhart, the Destroyer of Feels. _

_Just 'cause she didn't know how to kiss back…and he pulled away too fast, they couldn't get their frickin' shit together. And there's too much personal conflict, as well as outside problems like the government after them, still finding Jin etc. BUT, at least now they realize they DO have feelings for each other._

_Seriously…you guys probably hate me XP I mainly added an early (HAH, early) kiss here because a lot of people were freaking out about a Fuugen kiss. So, to maintain a slow build up of romance and constant denial of the obvious…this chapter came to be… I've never read a fanfiction with a take on a kiss like this, how something so obvious can be repressed with just the right words. O.o It must be weird._

**Reference-** Fuu's innocent notions on kissing are pretty plausible. Back in the day, kissing was _huge_, especially for Japanese women and meant complete devotion for another person. In the 1940s in Japan, any sexual references and even KISSING in media was a widely controversial topic. Now, think about how it would be in the honor bound Tokugawa Era. This still leads to this day since public display of affections is commonly frowned upon there… And while times have changed and more western ideas were adopted, the men are still stereotypically known to be extremely reserved about intimacy based on their culture. Recently, this has caused a growing number of Japanese women to seek a better romance with foreigners.

Plus, Fuu never was shown kissing anyone while Jin and Mugen were. Along with her innocent, naïve nature, it led me to believe she never kissed anyone ever. So Fuu may have been raised with this mindset about intimacy and that's why she held out from affection for seventeen years (and she'd been holding out for Mugen ahem. )

_In the next chapters, their relationship will return back to normal (not exactly) where it is slow build up. I guess it'll just go back to being subtle again…or fluffy…try not to do too much angst. I don't know. That is…I really hope I don't screw this up. _

_FOOLED OVER IZANAGI?! MUHAHAHA! If you reread 23, he was pushy, but the only mention of trying to hurt her were based around Fuu's feelings of the matter. I didn't want Izanagi to be some stereotypical bad guy to prove Mugen's point. It increases the drama by Mugen believing he's even worse. Besides, Fuu already was propositioned in chapter 1, and was almost raped four times; first by yakuza, the government samurai who planned to kill her afterwards, the sleazy shopkeeper who claimed she stole the magatame bead and finally was thrown in a brothel. Izanagi meanwhile is a normal rich boy good with the ladies (shown since he was in a relationship with Kiku and Umiko…and Yuki, was popular at the dance-off and very smooth with Fuu sometimes); not a rapist or murderer. Just goes to show that in this world, there's a lot of bad people, but not everyone is. People just have separate morals and ways of life._

_Btw…it's up to your interpretation of why Mugen is a ummm… "bad liar" when he goes for that lil' walk…in the middle of the night…by himself…with Fuu on his mind. Ahem. *Cough* Lol Jk. Perverts. Or…I'm the pervert. ANYWAY. Skit time._

Fuu: *sulking in corner*

Mugen: *somewhere in the woods.*

Momo: *squeak*

Me: …Umm… Doesn't seem to be anything interesting going on around here… Sigh… *teleports*

*Somewhere else far, far away*

Me: What's up in your hood, Jin! How's my favorite samurai bro?

Jin: Hmmm….

Me: …Seriously.

Jin: Ah.

Me: Okay. *whips out two katana* Say something for this skit Jin, or I'll impale you right here, right now!

Jin: …I find it quite ironic how you are requesting my presence when _you_ are the one who has completely neglected to include me in more than one skit thus far. I've also only been in _one_ chapter out of twenty five. You are truly cruel. Not to mention, showcasing a heavy matter of favoritism… While it was obvious Fuu favored Mugen…I do not wish to experience that same treatment from you.

Me: O-O …I'm sorry… Wait…so you _do_ think Fuu had feelings for Mugen all that time!

Jin: …I think it became additionally apparent right before we parted ways. I had to constantly put up with their incessant arguing when they were _obviously_ in denial.

Me: YAY, YOU ADMITTED IT! *hugs Jin*

Jin: And this story is "Sunflower Champloo"…not "Samurai Champloo".

Me: Hey…that sounds kinda catchy! 'Cause Samurai is you… Champloo represents Mugen. So since you're barely in here, we could substitute Samurai with Sunflower since that represents Fuu!

Jin: …Again, you admit to substituting me out. *sulks and walks away* Hmm.

Me: Hey Jin, don't be mad! I'm sorry! Jin! Wait up!

Shino: Not many people realize this, but Jin, although appearing emotionless on the outside, has a very sensitive heart. Please be kind to him. *bows*

_Is this where I finally hit COMPLETE OOCness?! Was Izanagi a twist? Was their first kiss unexpected? O.o Did it seem like that's how it would go down if Mugen denied his feelings even after kissing Fuu to make things go back to normal?! Is this how Fuu would react if Mugen kissed her and pretended it meant nothing?! Did it all blow up after 22 chapters and 2 prologues of not admitting their feelings even to themselves? Was it all understood (I'll admit the way their denying thoughts worked was confusing) Are you sad, happy, angry, surprised, wanting another chapter soon? _

_Follow/Favorite and review with any and all thoughts you have! I'd really love to hit 300 reviews before the next chapter since it's so close…and my summer vacation is ending…like a weird goal or something… It means so much to me to read comments! So make my pathetic summer goal come true! ^^ _

_**End of Chapter 23**_


	26. Chapter 24 Soothing Serenade

_**Chapter 24 Soothing Serenade**_

{Original Title: _Like_ _Cat and Dog_}

[A/N]:_ Arigatou gozaimasu mina! I hit ABOVE my chapter goal of 300 reviews! I would list you all in this thank you…but there are so many names…and I've pretty much spammed you guys with email responses. (I hope I didn't forget anyone o.o) I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! All the comments are beautiful (I should frame them on a wall) and I'm surprised so many have stayed with this story and have kept on reviewing! Also, thank you for the people who give me messages on Tumblr too!_

_Anyway, *clears throat*. _

_They aren't in complete denial anymore (except they don't WANT to have those feelings lol). They'll be trying to stay "normal" ahead. Mellow flowed chapter. Fluff? Kinda? I wanted to give back-story with a new OC._

**IMPORTANT**: PLEASE go on YouTube for the song **"Neko to Inu"** or** "Cat and Dog"** by **Maaya Sakamoto**. This beautiful lullaby-like song fits well with Fuugen. AND the singer sounds a lot (EXACTLY) like Ayako Kawasumi (Fuu's voice actress in Japanese. Ayako is also a singer and I swear...sounds just like her.). I found out posting _all _lyrics violates copyright policies. So, this isn't a songfic. I'm using a rough original English translation of_ some_ of the lyrics as reference. Besides…there are TONS of songfics on this website. Without listening, it's hard to imagine Fuu singing this since Japanese songs barely ever sound good translated in English and it's a lot longer in Japanese.

**Reference-** Like in the Medieval Ages, it was frowned upon to marry outside one's social class. Knights or samurai couldn't marry peasants or royalty.

_High ranking samurai under a daimyo could sometimes marry daimyo daughters. Other exceptions included poor ronin (masterless samurai) marrying peasants. (Jin and Shino would probably work)… _

_Fuu's of samurai class on her father's side. Mugen was a peasant and criminal. So she "seems" better to be with Jin on a social standpoint… BUT her father was a ronin, and we don't know her mother's background. (Jin and Shino resemble Fuu's parents. Her mother had the same hairstyle and wore green. Jin has a ponytail and wore gray in the last ep O.o) Here's something else interesting. In the ending of the anime (and in this fanfiction) Mugen has what appears to be a European knight's claymore sword. Knights and samurai were about the same. I think that was a reference to Mugen being equal to Jin and becoming heroic. (Fuu's knight, haha!) I made a post about this on Tumblr: __My Samurai Champloo Headcanon #2__. _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Nor do I own the rights to any songs that I make references to (and I didn't post any copy or all of the Japanese lyrics. I gave some lines in English). As always, no profits made.

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 24 Soothing Serenade<strong>_

Such a dismaying sunrise…

The recently hired waitress poked her head out the wooden barred opening in the teahouse window. While it hadn't snowed since the previous night, the clusters of gray above conveyed a glumness that drank up anyone's pleasant mood. Through the window, she tilted her head to the right enough to inspect down the entire length of the single, skinny street in the town. Vividly, the color at the end contrasted the gloomy overcast._ Red_ stood out on the shore. The man—unaware of being watched from afar—dazedly watched the freezing furls of saltwater licking the grains of corroded rock and shells by his feet.

They'd hit some trouble in the city of Matsusaka; trouble being guards informed of runaways exiting Owari. In their present state, they dwelled on the south eastern edge of the Ise Province where the Pacific Ocean drifted into Honshu, forming Ise Bay. Fuu guessed there were less than forty cottages here. They'd hunkered down in the sparsely populated fishing village for over a week, where peasants gathered to live out the remainder of their quiet existences with little discrepancies.

No shogunate officials would find them for a while. It would at least bide them time to loosen up…

Neither sailor nor samurai stopped through the homely settlement often. Ports in Nagoya, Edo and Osaka struck up much more trade and commerce. If they bothered to, they weren't welcomed…

Upon first arriving, they didn't exactly receive the welcoming mat either; well, _Mugen_ didn't.

This was a tightly knit community, the wanderers found out. The entire—albeit small—population received guidance from a pacifistic, xenophobic old lady who ran the only teahouse restaurant there. Almost immediately, they made a mutual agreement. They could stay for free in an old fishery storage room used for the food they saved in case the winter took a turn for the worse. On one condition: they pull their own weight, working for the benefit of everyone. Violent conduct would not be tolerated… And_ that_ warning seemed shot at Mugen.

Whereas Fuu worked with the old woman, Mugen tried his best (as he stubbornly could) to help gather provisions, but the people weren't making it easy. None of the fishermen would ask for his assistance or company on the battered, wave stricken docks—even when the ex-pirate's experience with boats exceeded there's. Of the few mothers the village had, their grips would tighten on the whicker weaved baskets overflowing with the slippery catches of the day whenever he strolled by. They'd then pull their children into the wooden houses before slamming the sliding doors. Villagers articulated things in their hushed tones—about the sets of cerulean rings on each appendage…the sword on the back—about the hardy appearance that didn't resemble someone of full Japanese descent. _Something more from the far south that revealed wildness and unlawful activity. _

The ex-criminal grew restless. Randomly he'd roam off, never going close to the townsfolk who would've dispersed anyway. Fuu went looking for him usually, after the many chores were finished, habitually finding him meandering along the beaches lightly sheeted by sand…and occasionally snow, like he had today as soon as dawn revisited… A rusted spring being pushed and pushed, he bided something inside about this place. At first, Fuu assumed it was the annoyances of being commanded by the old woman and the suspicions presented his way.

Then she began to wonder if this was about finding Jin and running from the law…or her invading company when _obviously_ the ryukyuan sought to be alone.

Two evenings ago, Fuu acquired the courage to ask _what_ his discontent _was_.

_He'd told her that this place looked a lot like the villages his pirate group used to ransack back in the day._

After that…the subject didn't get pressed further.

Right now, Fuu still wistfully observed Mugen's small, scarlet profile from the distance. He seemed to have picked up a rock, whipping it viciously into the expansive water.

'_What is even thinking about right now?'_

Each passing day _her_ thoughts were infected with him more and more; this must be the punishment for realizing that you were…_crushing on_ someone—plunging into a deeper, dark hole with no way back up. Fuu didn't know if she was _bitter_ of the sentiment… Their relationship _was_ platonic. Always had been. _Always would be_. _But-_

"Where are your parents, Fuu-chan?" the question quickly deluded her daydreaming. The owner of the voice rested a wrinkly palm on the server's back. "I just find it odd that an unmarried young girl is wandering the countryside."

Fuu faced the lady who provided them shelter in exchange for work. Late sixties, the teashop owner must've been; white hair fastened in a traditional style revealed as much. Sometimes, the haggardness from the old woman's trying life showed in the hollow bags hanging heavy under her tired eyes when the right amount of dimness played on her face. Gave suggestions of an even older age... Her tarnished skin was cracked and worn, like a dried, crinkled leaf in autumn, probably from being outside in the sun, farming and fishing over the time span of underprivileged years… Her garments were dull and earthy. Over that, she sometimes wrapped herself in a shawl made of strips of sewn straw to warm her tired bones. So humble…_so poor_.

Everyone referred to her fondly as "Obaasan". Most likely this was out of respect for her age and the guidance she provided. Actually, Fuu didn't even _know_ the woman's real name…

"Uh… Well, my mother passed away from illness over three years ago. And I traveled when I was fifteen to find my father, and he was…" the answer got wedged in Fuu's mind, caught into a snare of bad, unforgettable memories that even now…remained a haunting scar. _The daubs of blood spraying from his neck she wishes to not see…the government assassin who cleans his katana with indifference even when her father's fresh corpse is…_

It all got blocked out. "…he also died."

Obaasan nodded quietly to the orphan.

There existed a trait about this person, although what it was she couldn't decipher, that Fuu took an immediate liking to. Something honest and engaging dwelled within the elder. Maybe it was the way her aged and all knowing brown eyes looked into Fuu's younger, inquisitive ones; being able to breach into the girl's unguarded soul… She could read her emotions easily. No one could do that…_since her mother._

"How about you? Do you have any family, Obaasan?" asked Fuu.

Having not responded right away, her decrepit legs shambled over to the counter. A bad slant plagued the woman's back. Not without a wobble and a tilt, she scuttled awkwardly from one side of the teahouse to another. But even with a faltering posture, the movements were definite and unwavering like her tone; soft yet strong.

Fuu followed, aiding in preparing cuisine for those scheduled to dine before the day's work would begin.

Gaunt, weathered fingers coiled around the timber knob of a rusted meat cleaver. The small blade slammed down onto a fish rather forcefully. "My husband was murdered…" Both gesture and statement startled the younger female. "…by wakou."

"W-wakou?" For a moment, her veins ceased their blood flow.

"Small seaside settlements have seen their fair share of pirate raids. Luckily, they attack towns more in the far south. And, they've declined after Japan issued stricter overseas trading policies and tighter port cities. We haven't seen any turmoil like that in several decades. My husband died long ago, back when I was young."

At least that put Fuu's mind at ease… It hadn't been Mugen's group led by Mukuro since they were recent… In _all the time_ they'd known each other, she knew little of his history of marauding, of how many villages Mukuro's band invaded—or _who_ Mugen may have killed. _'Surely not innocent people… Mugen…wouldn't do something like that.' _she assured silently.

…But Mukuro said_ things_ about the would-be bodyguard…back when they were coincidentally on the other side of this same bay two years ago.

* * *

><p>"<em>They ain't my friends or anything. I just promised to protect 'em until we get to Nagasaki."<em>

_Her eyes widen; confused that he actually planned to keep his promise…maybe hurt that he so openly denied their friendship._

"_Protect, huh? YOU?" the man can't hold in his mocking chuckle. "Oh, that's funny. That's a laughing riot!" __Mukuro turns to the fifteen year old, a wicked gleam in his devious stare, "Oi, do you have any idea what kind of things this guy has done? You know how many people he's killed?" she doesn't have a response… _

_Black hair conceals any evidence of Mugen's expression… Fuu wonders what he is thinking in this moment, almost appearing…that he doesn't wish for her to know of the past this raider is gladly digging up from the beaches of sin._

"_This is hysterical! A guy like YOU protecting people?" When Mukuro chides, no one besides the smug bandit expects the vagrant to raise the dual pronged sword to his neck. She never seen Mugen this riled up before…so angered and...defensive. "Yeah. That's more like it. That's the kind of guy you are. Remember now?"_

_Scoffing disgustedly, Mugen's shark skinned tsurugi is re-sheathed. Just for a second he eyes Fuu…sees her hiding behind Jin's back, and then skulks off without a word. "Mugen, chotto!" Naturally, Fuu calls and makes no hesitation to run after. _

"_Hey, don't let the things that Mukuro jerk said get to you…okay?"_

"_It didn't get to me!" he snaps. "I just hate when people act like they fucking know everything about me!"_

_Fuu knows him…doesn't she? __Then, that other girl who'd cried upon his reappearance catches up to them. She walks quite close to the bodyguard… How come Mugen hadn't told her anything about this girl or that man? How much does she really know?_

_Enough. Fuu knows enough._

* * *

><p>She doesn't need to know what he'd done. It's who he is <em>now<em> that matters.

Fuu glanced sideways to the hunched old woman. Understanding for Obaasan's loathing towards warriors passing through seemed to make more sense. No wonder she desired peace… '_She always looks so sad…'_

"I've been meaning to ask, the entire village calls you Obaasan. But did you and your husband ever have any children or grandchildren?"

Creased lips stiffened. "We had one. A daughter." A slice of the cleaver cut into the shiny scales of the trout's cadaver, its one opal staring impassively up at them. "It's been a long time since I've spoken with her… Two decades just about."

Two decades: even older than Fuu… This…may not have been the best subject to mention either. "I-I'm sorry!"

"It's quite alright. My daughter ran away from me… I told her to remain within her social class. I read some of the books of Confucius, a Chinese philosopher from the mainland, and his writings said one should accept their role in life. It's just how our country works and what I strongly believe in. But her…_a peasant girl_…wanted to marry that one samurai…" Something wet glimmered momentarily in the glazy film of Obaasan's nearly blinded vision…

"So they eloped?"

"Indeed. Of course, he wasn't a_ bad_ man. Every day, he'd bring my daughter these beautiful, yellow flowers…something exotic from the far west I think. She used to put them all in a large vase on the windowsill you are _always_ standing in front of to see that Mugen fellow."

…Had she really been looking out the window_ that_ often? Quickly, she glanced to where she'd routinely kept watch on the vagrant… Alas, there no longer remained any evidence of an urn teeming with golden flora sitting on the dusty, neglected ledge…

"It was no lie he had true love for my daughter." Obaasan continued when Fuu returned to attention. "But he had a tainted history and hid it well… I could tell when he wouldn't dare look at me when I asked of his past. Just by not going with some lady of samurai blood…there was something _wrong_ about that. He carried his own beliefs. They'd be ridiculed if they married! …But the man didn't care."

It was apparent her viewpoints on pacifism, nonviolence and the "way the world should be" were best described as…_adamant_. _Close-minded_ perhaps wouldn't be distant from the truth either. Honestly, Fuu wondered what the old woman would think of her own parents; her father, a chosokabe ronin and political instigator in the Shimabara Rebellion. And Fuu and her mother weren't that distant from peasantry after the sunflower samurai left. Little was known of her mother's background…of what samurai family she'd been a member of. On that side of the family, Fuu's grandparents never were mentioned.

And what of Mugen and Jin both? Associating with_ that_ destructive duo seemed to make Fuu not fall very far from the tree to other's perceptions.

"My daughter always was so stubborn though." she said, "And when that samurai popped the question…she was _ecstatic_."

The old woman could still remember how radiantly her daughter's big brown eyes_ shined _when he'd proposed, how out of breath the young lass was from running all the way back home to explain the wonderful news. And she could clearly recall as if were just yesterday…the teary disbelief when her blessing had indignantly been denied.

"I was against it. _Forbid_ it. If she planned to leave with him, I told her to never return. Still, that didn't stop her. I…disowned my daughter then and they'd moved far away."

Another aquatic creature got hacked in two. Fuu could say nothing.

"I never liked that samurai; always felt he was a wanderer that would leave when the situation was suitable. His past wasn't clean… If people were against him, he'd end up being in danger. A husband like that couldn't protect anyone, not even himself."

Sounded a lot like Mugen… The waitress didn't know if he planned to keep traveling with her. Or, in the midst of some cold night, she'd wake up and find him gone. The urge to return to her post by the entrance had to be contained in order to keep this conversation—as dispiriting as it was—going. "…But…she had feelings for him…"

"Yes. Still, I _can't _accept that she chose him and_ betrayed_ me. It's quite pathetic, I realize."

"Maybe your daughter will come back someday!" Fuu added hopefully.

"No…" the elder spoke gravely. "She _won't_. It's a mother's instinct." Finally, her brutally rigid hold on the cleaver lessened, letting the kitchen utensil rest flat on the cutting board. Lingering upon it, Obaasan seemed to have an internal battle whether to continue chopping or to…_let go_. "Twenty years is a _long_ time. I don't even know if I have any grandchildren. One could only_ imagine _what a troublesome offspring of _his _would be like."

She looked to the girl again... "Love is even blinder than my fading eyesight."

For some reason…Fuu felt this declaration was not only concerning Obaasan's daughter anymore.

Suddenly, a recognizable yanki inflection floated from the open entrance. "Oi! Didja need some more work done or what? I ain't got all day to wait!" The man leaning an elbow on the doorframe had his tattooed arms folded, and one steel plated clog crossing over the other.

Unlike the young woman who happily glanced up…Obaasan gave a dry noise that could be taken as a sigh, reaching to a shelf above the meat cutting counter. Retrieving what appeared to be a sanded down yumi and its matching quiver, she stomped to the male, shoving the materials into his hands with a vigor that old crones didn't seem to normally have. "You will go hunt! If you want a place to stay, _work_ for it!"

"Tch… Ya already reminded me a' that fifty somethin' times Obaba."

"I'll come along too then! …If that's okay?" the teenager looked expectedly to the teahouse owner, who gave a solemn nod.

"Then hurry your ass up."

He departed. When Fuu went to follow, she felt her shoulder grabbed. "Fuu-chan,"

"Yes?"

"You are the closest thing I can imagine to having a grandchild." That put the girl in high spirits to hear such a thing…but Fuu's grateful smile _weakened_ when Obaasan continued, her skeletally thin clutch tightening and tone…_forewarning_. "You have a rebellious spirit within you. I can see the same twinkle in your gaze as my daughter. But that traveler you're with… Those_ eyes _he has… They are like that of a wild dog. I'm more anxious around him than the samurai my daughter ran off with two decades ago."

"Believe me, Mugen would _never_ hurt anyone I'm friends with. I've known him for a long ti-"

"No. _You_ should be careful…"

* * *

><p>Together, they scanned through the foliage of the forest…waiting for any signal of an animal. So far, they'd tracked down <em>absolutely nothing<em> to bring back and Obaasan would be peeved if they found no food…

Over the seemingly _endless_ trees in the hilly area above the water inlet, there emerged a set of snowcapped mountains creating an invitation to the west—the direction they'd probably be continuing to _if_ they decided to press onward. They still hadn't made that clear yet. After the last incident of being chased down by the government, the issue had been avoided…

Actually, they'd been dancing around several other matters.

Lately, Mugen didn't fail to notice how Fuu had trouble looking him in the eye. She'd stammer more often, getting all weird over paltry, meaningless things. Something undeniably had shifted in their _already_ arduous relationship. Mugen, usually never concerned, wondered if it was ever since they'd been debating over continuing to find Jin, or because he told Fuu they were on the run. _Probably though…it happened after he kissed her that things changed._ He thought more; she talked less… She hadn't even blabbed off for the whole walk in the woods.

On the topic of the quiet Fuu, Mugen realized she_ wasn't_ hushed now though, unlike her new behavior for the last week or so. In the peaceful backdrop of the rime layered woodlands, there existed evidence of a small, exposed_ melody_ just within earshot. She'd been humming the same song on repeat for some time.

"…What 'cha hummin'?"

Immediately a note hollowed out and ended, passively stirring its fading echo through the needles of pine and twigs of oak. "N-nothing." she replied nervously.

"Obviously it's _something_ since you've been doin' it for the last thirty minutes. We ain't ever gonna hunt down anything with you makin' all that racket."

"I'll stop if you want."

He didn't really _want_ her to stop; curiosity reigned as the strongest factor. Though, he didn't bother to say another word.

Glancing at the extremely tall hunting bow skeptically, she wondered, "So…do you even _know_ how to use that?"

Without an utterance, the cocky man retrieved one of the arrows, leaning it against the bridge of bamboo. Lining up the string with the back of the feathered ended projectile, he aimed it at a skinny little excuse for a tree about several yards away. The target would be a tricky one to nail… Mugen squinted… He pointed. Holding back a mouthful of air, Fuu expected an impressive manner of skill to be demonstrated, just like when he handled a swordfight; losing himself completely in the moves of instinct that were so engrained like the moon naturally chasing after the sun each night.

Instead…when he let go… the arrow and string scraped harshly against his finger in a hideously painful way, making a loud THWACK reverberating all through the underbrush.

"SON OF A MOTHER'S BITCH!"

Wow. She never heard him use the phrase_ that_ way before!

The bow was dropped. Several birds soared from their frozen nests. And the arrow...flew _way _past the tree…

As a result, Mugen let out a horrendous thread of curses and swears, some in normal Japanese and other profanities voiced in a such a thick ryukyuan dialect that she could barely interpret them! They had the female cringing on sight, and still entirely amused by the epic _failure _of her companion.

"Guess not huh." Fuu laughed uncontrollably. Always, he got angrier about lesser injuries like stubbing his toe rather than being sliced up to ribbons… "Here, let me see." Softly, she cupped the finger that'd been injured by the cord made of hemp.

"It's just brush burn! I'm fine!" he snatched his hand away.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey. Your hand is bleeding." Jin states without any surprise.<em>

_Fuu though, always has to make a huge deal about everything. She catches Mugen off guard when taking hold of his right hand. "How did you get all cut up like this?!" He'd been gone all day, and had a not so safe run in with the street killer by the name of Shoryu that the city is providing a bounty for. The bastard left a token; a deep wound cutting straight across his palm. Her fingers caress it._

_He immediately pulls away. "It's just a scratch!" _

"_It's worse than scratches!"_

* * *

><p>"I'm <em>fine<em>." repeated the man sternly.

_Maybe he'd been acting stranger than her._ He picked up the bow again, draping it over the opposite shoulder from the steel handle of the claymore. Not withholding a frustrated huff, Fuu still pretended to search for their prey…even when they'd spotted no sign of _anything_ besides birds. And Mugen couldn't exactly…shoot an arrow to save his life.

"I bet _Jin_ knows how to use them properly. Samurai are trained with swords, spears _and_ bows." directing how the ronin could do something better than Mugen…probably to piss him off…

"Good 'fer the nerd." he sneered. "I don't need ta' know how to use some frickin' _bullshit _like this. Operation Slice an' Dice has worked just fine so far!"

"Do you ever miss him? Jin, I mean." this time, her attitude went somber.

"…Never thought about him enough to say I _missed_ the guy. But, I guess I'm wondering if that bastard's still alive an' kickin'."

"I miss him a lot…" she admitted; Mugen was well aware of that much. "You said before that we don't even know if he's alive."

"Sometimes I say things in the heat a' the moment… If_ anyone_ could've killed him, it woulda' been me. And if I couldn't, I doubt anyone else can."

"That's a funny way of putting it. But I think you're right… Do you think…the government is still after him just like us?"

"Maybe."

For Jin, Fuu appeared stricken with a knife of grief carving out the insides of her heart. _Always for Jin._ "And maybe you were right when you said we might not ever find him. So…_why_ are _we_ still traveling together?"

Did he really believe they'd never find their third companion of the long since separated party? Frankly, that answer was a foggy one. For Mugen, it didn't matter _what _he believed though; it only mattered if Fuu kept on with the search. Just like when locating her unspecified and loosely detailed samurai who smelled of sunflowers, the vagrant held in more than his fair share of doubts about the whole plan—so did Jin, for sure. Nonetheless, he kept on going with the teahouse waitress and the rival samurai without breaking the makeshift pact. Maybe he'd always kept the faith alive so his companion wouldn't lose her slipping grasp on it.

This time around…the wandering swordsman greatly wanted _her _to keep having faith that they'd find Jin, so _he _wouldn't let go of it. Otherwise, there wouldn't be another reason to stick around..._or any other excuse. _"Back when we were searching for your sunflower dude, not _once_ did ya want to give up."

"It's not that I _want_ to give up."

"So you're sayin' you don't want to travel with me?" Resentment snaked in... "_Fine._ Maybe it's better that way…seein' as the government's after us. They'd find _me_ a lot easier." Mugen added unintentional spite that had the wooded area curtained in an ugly layer of apprehension.

"No!" Much to Mugen's wide eyed astonishment, Fuu took hold of a tattooed forearm with two palms, forcing him—a man never forced to do anything—to look her right in the eye. "No, you idiot!" she repeated, louder, withholding her sights over his jutted lip and squinted glower without any vacillation.

He looked away.

So…it'd been _him_ that had trouble holding her angelic stare of bright brown; not the other way around.

Failing to admonish her of that knowledge…she'd raised her voice in the hopes he'd look _and_ listen. "I just don't understand why you're bothering to come along when _obviously_ you have no faith that we'll find him! We have no leads besides a few people who've seen him here and there. And_ that_ was a long time ago. We have nothing to go off of, Mugen. And now…the shogunate wants to eliminate us…" Slowly, the grip lessened, until her hand slipped away entirely. He noticed how her tone also _waned_.

"So if you honestly don't think we will…if you…_want_ to go, then I can't keep you here any longer."

Like before when asking about holding out, and feelings, and his relationships with women…_when he'd kissed her in response and stated it was for nothing,_ Fuu was testing one too many boundaries. Except this time, she was terrified of what he would decide to do next. Soon, he'd leave…and…

"Broad, I would've left even if you _didn't_ want me to."

"Then why stay?"

Mugen didn't really know _why_ anymore. With the government gaining on them more each day, it'd be on_ his _conscious if she were found and caught by being around a wanted criminal. His mere presence wrought conflict; it was always like that. Eventually, Fuu would be hurt.

If he left her though…alone on the road, without knowing whether she'd been captured by her shogunate prosecutors or not…that too would live on as a regret.

To stay or go…he wouldn't know which would be the cause of her downfall.

The male's response failed to answer the question of _why_, "Are _you_ still gonna look for him?" This time, he received nothing, not even a whisper back. Wind instead passed through the craggily bare branches imposing their shadows on the clearing ahead. Eventually, the tall trees and bushes of prickly bramble dissipated into what appeared to be a large, open grove. Small blades of frosty grass laid out the stretch of the treeless meadow. "…We should just hang around that village for a while. Keep a low profile since those damn province soldiers are after us. And after that…we'll figure out what we're gonna do: keep lookin' or givin' up."

The girl gave a small noise of affirmation, and a half nod to this plan.

Their dubious considerations to the future were cut short. From somewhere nearby, both their heads cocked as a twig shattered under the weight of a step. Ever vigilant, Mugen grabbed for the European sword. Fuu hid behind his back.

_Something was out there. _

Surprisingly, a stunning sika doe, pelt a healthy auburn speckled in white spots, emerged into the clearing. Mugen's right hand retreated.

He reached for the quiver strapped around his waist and the long bow on his shoulder. With newfound confidence, the arrow point aligned with the chest of the large animal across the sodden meadow, the malleable string pulling back. He counted seconds in his head…the pressure in his tentative fingertips building… He didn't like such a slow pace… Any moment, he'd let go…

Right as the inexperienced archer readied to release the arrow-

"DON'T! Look, there's her baby!"

Another swear escaped when the aim lowered and his fingers eased.

Sure enough, an additional, much smaller deer appeared from the other side of the forest surrounding the grove, following the bigger set of hooves traipsing over the bits of frozen shrubbery. Frolicking playfully, he soon bumped into his mother's side, whose large ears perked and swiveled cautiously at the sounds of shallow human breaths.

Momo, creeping through Fuu's pink kimono, darted towards the sika. While the mother eased back, the young fawn bent down, greeting the rodent standing upon his tiny paws, who let out a cute squeak of "hello". Both animals' noses twitched at each other.

Fuu giggled sweetly and Mugen rolled his eyes.

"The Baba at the village ain't gonna be too happy with us not pulling our weight." he grumbled.

"Well, we _could_ say we didn't find anything."

"Or I'll just tell 'er that I can't frickin' figure out how to use a stupid bow…"

Not only did he let the wild creature live upon her request…he was willing to take the blame. Little things like this, unpredictable things made Mugen out to be a much better person than he dared let anyone—anyone besides _her_—know about.

When the pair of deer retreated into the thicket and the flying squirrel returned, Mugen and Fuu turned back in the direction from which they came, to the village of unfriendly faces…

* * *

><p>"That song you were hummin' earlier…" Mugen began, "What's it about anyway?"<p>

A half a mile from the outskirts of town, the sun decided on budding out of its safe barricade of clouds. Their path back went aglow with the freshly fallen snow of the night before reflecting the light pleasantly streaming from the bright, blue sky.

After moments passed, she said, "It's just a song about two people."

"Doesn't _sound _too interesting."

If Fuu was more observant…she would've noticed the obvious _remnant_ of interest; his folded hands casually knotted behind his head separated when he apprehensively scratched the side of his neck. "No, there's more to it than that… Um, they argue a lot and they have nothing in common. But they're really close despite not always getting along."

A fog of silence returned; while the tense Mugen _pretended_ to be fixated on their trampled trail in the woods, the introverted girl fidgeted with her dangling kimono sleeve.

"Since we're not huntin' anymore, you could always sing it now, right?" Hearing Mugen ask a request like that…; well,it was _strange_ for one. Immediately, her back went rigid. He'd always said her voice was so loud and obnoxious, her singing would be considered tone deaf! She was nothing like how…that goze sang… Everyone including Jin and Mugen enjoyed the blind assassin's heartrending song, _Kuzunoha Leaves Her Child_. Obviously, Fuu could never compare to Sara…

She hesitated. "I-I'm not very good."

"Oh_ c'mon_. Stop bein' all self conscious. You seen that I can't hunt for shit. Sing it."

"NO."

Scoffing to that, Mugen finished raking his nails against his skin, walking speed going all the brisker. "Never mind then. You probably _do_ suck. I don't want to lose my damn hearing from-"

"FINE! I'll sing, you jerk!"

He'd beat her in this battle. Mugen looked over one shoulder at the woman who started to catch up to him, grinning when she'd almost tripped on a root protruding from the shabby, icy soil.

A deep breath was taken, and seconds passed…then more. "Um…Uh…" Her pouting lips parted gradually…quite a bother to him how much he liked the way their pinkness glistened in the daylight rays.

"You gonna frickin' start or-"

She began.

"…_You like cats…and I like dogs. Our differences are too many to count."_

Not only Fuu got lost in the slow pace when she sang the melancholic words. Blaming the breeze,the sudden gusty chill _must've_ been what caused the ryukyuan's chest to tauten unsettlingly like that…

"_I don't at all understand your world, even though I sometimes try to…"_

No mocking laugh cut off the melody, and the rude bastard hadn't covered his ears and begged for the singing to cease. Instead…he'd gone an eerie type of quiet… When her expectant brown orbs flashed his way, meeting his stormy stare, she gave a perceivable smile while her lips moved. Mugen visibly twitched.

"_But the two of us…are very close… We don't do anything, if it's not the both of us."_

Crisp and cold, the air infiltrated her lungs with every soft inhale. _His_ breathing…turned a notch that was a much more unsteady cadence. In the dead of winter, the surrounding forest sprung alive with the voices of the wind, and the brave bush warblers that too began their own joyful chirps.

"_This feeling that is breathing like a strange rhythm…"_

Fuu sang another line about something always continuing…but he'd missed the ending after being so caught up in the first three.

Halfway through its lifespan, the song ended on a drawn out note.

Swallowing down an abnormally large lump...Mugen fortunately became capable of speech again, "You never sang in front of me before."

Her cheeks took on that delightful shade of pastel pink whenever a stutter escaped; definitely more out of sheer embarrassment rather than the cold. "I-I never sang in front of _anyone _before. Well, besides my mom. She taught me that." Of course, Fuu knew he wouldn't want to hear the rest… So she didn't bother to-

"What are the rest a' the words?" it tumbled out huskily, like the male was dehydrated or didn't try hard enough to verbalize.

She blinked. "…You don't…_mind _me singing it?"

"It ain't nothing I'd_ pay_ ta' hear in the city, that's for sure." With such a haughty claim…the ex-pirate struggled to form a subtle mix between a deceitful smirk and a _something more stripped of false discourteousness_. "…I guess it'll do for now though." he managed to add; this time, Fuu was _sure_ it was a smile.

"Okay." she beamed back brightly, "I can't remember the _entire_ song. So, I'll skip a few lines. But here I go. "

"_Another fight." _

These lyrics…

"_You hurt my feelings."_

Mugen was sure he'd never once heard this calming lullaby in his whole life…

"_And I burst into tears…"_

Then why did this sound…

"_But even so soon…I feel our hands brush against each other."_

For a long refrain, another hum bubbled to cover for her lack of memory to the whole song. The humming gave time to reprocess what exactly these previous lines were about; surely he knew who the characters in the song were. Why did the words seem familiar…_seem like…_

"…_where you walk the same road over and over again." _

The melody could plainly describe _exactly_ what had been awakening him in the middle of the nights in a cold sweat for the time they'd spent in the village, where he'd gotten up and traversed the coastline to get the revolting thoughts out of his head. …_His guilty conscious maybe?_

"_Having free time away separates us a little. But we're bad at feigning innocence."_

Entranced too much, the vagrant somehow broke away his troubled contemplations from the chestnut haired teenager's sugary voice; the same seventeen year old who lately hounded his cognizance more frequently…more than he ever wanted.

They cut through the enclave of surrounding vegetation, standing side by side on a large precipice where a pathway of uneven gravel went into a downward skew to reach the seaside town. Just in sight, off the hilltop, the endless foamy waves of the ocean were for the first time in a while, a welcoming sight. Usually, the ex-pirate's memories of the sea were blighted with bad reminiscences…thoughts of sin and bereavement. But this…_now…_seeing the body of water from up there on the cliff overshadowing the reed stalked roofs of village huts, it reminded him of one other time where he _enjoyed_ the sparkling blue tides…_a time where the girl two years younger back then runs merrily with a thrilled shout, giggling and kicking at the water, giving a happy smile when her eyes catch his… _

Following, the singer whose lips were chapping didn't finish her rhythmic flow of phrases… Mugen couldn't decide if he was relieved or bothered by this.

Neither knew if their journey together would continue, the future hazed by uncertainty and doubt. Only recently, he started thinking leaving would be _better_ for her future without voicing as much. In fact, he _couldn't _tell her that. With the girl here though, beside him, singing…he was contented,_ satisfied_ with the present. _Even if it—they—might not last…_ For now, he wanted to think this moment with her would be enough; a good memory to move on from if he_ did_ decide to leave for her benefit. Maybe it'd be better for _him_ too, to get away.

But…_would Fuu _be enough as just a memory_? _

"_This feeling that is like breathing with a strange rhythm will always continue…"_

If it were his breathing or his pulse that was more erratic…he couldn't tell which.

After the wind finished its own cheerless whistle, dying down into peace and stillness…the only thing that could be heard was Fuu's sweet serenade. _His_ breathing pattern hadn't yet returned to normal. He wondered if it ever would. That rousing sensation whirring within Mugen's chest—that he previously_ blamed _on the wintry sea breeze—that_ feeling_ in his chest did not abate.

"…_won't it?"_

_**~To Be Continued? O.O~**_

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><p>[AN]: _Obaasan is pretty important for the next chapter. _

_Listen to _**Neko to Inu**_ by _**Maaya Sakamoto** _on YouTube to hear what Fuu sang! "You like cats…I like dogs…" and earlier Obaasan and a guy in the anime said Mugen is like a wild dog. Ahem. You can't tell me this song doesn't sound like Fuu's Japanese voice singing it AND the LYRICS AHHHH! This should be the _**Fuu's feelings for Mugen anthem** lmao.

**Obaasan-** polite way to address an old woman, but literally means "grandmother" similar to saying "granny" for elder women. **Baba** or **Obaba**- ruder forms, like "crone" or "hag".

**Wakou- **Japanese or "dwarf" pirate referring to Japan being a smaller country compared to China. Piracy hit two peaks, in the 1300s, then 1500s, declining as the shogunate gained more control. Ironically, during the 16th century, only 30% percent were Japanese, others Chinese, Korean…and Ryukyuan. Many pirate bases were in THE RYUKYUAN ISLANDS. (The anime mixed up history on purpose…since the Shimabara Rebellion and the Mujuushin Dojo were both active in the 1600s... But the U.S., matchlock guns and Hip Hop etc. were invented later.) They ransacked small towns in China, Korea and the southwestern areas of Japan. But this fishing village looted long ago is south east, across the same bay that eps 13 and 14 took place.

**Sika Deer**_-_ also called "nihonjika", literally "Japan deer". They have white spots even in adulthood… And they're currently overpopulated in Japan. Damn it Fuu!

_Mugen had a bow since he's a Sagittarius: the Archer, if you remember the brothel chapters (and that's what people used to hunt back in the day obviously)._

Fuu: *singing quietly*

Mugen: Hey.

Fuu: Eh?

Mugen: *beckons her closer with one finger while eyes are closed*

Fuu: What is it? *leans closer*

Mugen: …You sing off-key.

Fuu: YOU JERK! *SLAPS*

Mugen: OW! What the hell, ya frickin' bitch!

Fuu: Like you're any better!

Mugen: Just shaddup and observe the mastah. *clears throat*

Mugen: *Starts rapping the Battlecry Opening Theme Song*_ Yeah. Sharp like an edge of a samurai sword_-

Fuu: …You are such an idiot.

_This skit references a Spike and Faye scene in Cowboy Bebop, also directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Samurai Champloo is known to be Cowboy Bebop's "spiritual sequel". Mugen and Spike are both voiced by Steven Blum in English too. It's funny, because I only enjoy Cowboy Bebop in English, while I enjoy Samurai Champloo more in Japanese. And that's ironic… 'cause two of my other favorite female characters are ALSO voiced by Kari Whelgren…Fuu in English. Lady from Devil May Cry 3 and 4 (uncredited) and Vex in the Thieves Guild from Skyrim. And all three bitch about making money lmao._

_Follow/Favorite/REVIEW! I love your thoughts, questions, concerns and comments sooooooooooo much! :D _

_**End of Chapter 24**_


	27. Chapter 25 Swordsman's Solace

_**Chapter 25 Swordsman's Solace**_

{Original Title:Clipping a Firefly's Wings}

[A/N]: _Gomen nasai! I haven't updated in so long!_

**IMPORTANT Reference-** **Inuyama **from the anime returns (the fanbase dubs him the "firefly samurai"). He's the homosexual assassin who flirted with Jin in the hot spring in **Episode 2. **At first, he acted innocent saying "I'm only a samurai by name", but later planned to kill Jin after being hired by Sasaki Ryujiro (whose arm was cut off by Mugen in Ep 1). Their fight was interrupted. BUT, he cut into Jin's clothes twice, and Jin couldn't even cut him once. I believe he was one of the most formidable opponents in the series: rivaling Kariya and Sara. Inuyama told Jin "I have a feeling we will meet again someday. That is the feeling I get." Shinichiro Watanabe (the director) said his main regret for Samurai Champloo was never getting the chance to bring Inuyama back; he was supposed to be in Ep 24 but was removed for time constraints… So, this chapter is dedicated to Watanabe-san…(which definitely would never meet his expectations hah…) Also, Inuyama said he "knew something about the sunflower samurai". It's still unknown if that was a lie to get Jin to follow him in the woods…or the truth (O.o) I personally think he DID know of the sunflower samurai since he was supposed to appear close to the series finale. And, he knew about Jin's past in the dojo when he said "You meet up to rumors!" and "Is this so different than fighting in a dojo?" Hrm… **Rewatch Ep 2** sometime.

_The flashback within is restrained in Mugen's memories…just like Fuu's in Chapter 4._

_To __**guest reviewer Kira**__, I am honored for this to be one of the best Fuugen stories you've read! *squeals and hides in corner* Sorry it takes so long for me to write chapters. But comments like these really inspire me to update for wonderful people ^^ _

_To__** guest reviewer fungus**__, I'm a social hermit on the internet too XD. Fanfiction is what managed to open me up. So, thanks for coming out and supporting me with your review! :D And I'll definitely be continuing this…super long monstrosity of writing. No worries there :]_

_To__** guest reviewer Fuugen Addict**__, *weeps uncontrollably* FUUUGEEEEN. I hope you didn't go into withdrawals! Here's a FUUGEN hit to fulfill your addiction :3 _

_To__** guest reviewer (24**__**th**__** chapter)**__, I totally don't deserve these wonderful compliments! I absolutely love writing Mugen and Fuu's interactions, so I'm happy people think it's in character. __ One of the best fanfictions you've ever read EVER?! AHHHH! Thank you! You're right that the ending had the zen message, the incompleteness made it more complete in a way. Loose ends are left, allowing the viewer to make up their own interpretation to their lives. And the viewer in a sense gets the chance to choose where their paths will lead. In my opinion, Mugen and Fuu would find each other first, since they did meet first and c'mon…the anime was SO Fuugen XD The ending gave me a window to expand on that. (Too much in love with shipping and Samcham). I'll also make sure to incorporate more Japanese culture for ya :]_

_To__** guest reviewer (26**__**th**__** chapter), **__I'm VERY happy thanks to your review :D and I'm sorry this story infringed on your sleeping patterns DX My sleeping schedule has been out of whack too, being a reason I haven't updated. Whenever I type, I fall asleep with my laptop open. O.o Then, I wake up finding an array of keyboard smashing my Chihuahua typed when she stepped all over it…_

_To __**guest reviewer Chris (for Prologue 1**__, if you got this far) All the constructive criticism is very nice. :) There are tons (TONS) of errors I spotted that I wish I had time to go back and fix… Oh God, I have barely any time to both revise and write new chapters. But it's greatly appreciated and I'll be sure to take note of these. Sorry if they were distracting :[ I said it was revised…but grammatical errors weren't fixed fully. Gah… My writing style is really strange because I try too hard to not be repetitive and sentences become weird._

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Back to that social class thing in the last chapter, I'd probably be a peasant rice farmer… (Actually, that's kind of racist to myself since I'm half Laotian…stereotypically known for picking rice…umm. "WELCOME TO THE RICE FIELDS MOTHER FU**ERS!"-Filthy Frank reference…and if any of you have seen Filthy Frank, you have been blessed…by the dark lord Chin Chin.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 25 Swordsman's Solace<strong>_

"I swear granny, you try tellin' me what to do one more frickin' time, I won't hesitate ta'-"

"He'll get to it right away!" the sunflower lass segued in, covering his open mouth in an attempt to obstruct an array of empty (a least she hoped) threats and the profanities that decorated them. Obaasan, nevertheless, seemed unconvinced. To perhaps quell her mistrust, Fuu gave a _much _too syrupy smile… "_Won't you_, Mugen."

Her reprimanded victim glared back with murder on the mind.

Whispering a final time to _shut up_ before they got kicked out, she pushed his back and he repeated something venomous under a breath; the disgruntled girl _prayed_ nobody heard.

Occupying the space of the teahouse besides the trio, sat a customer watching from the corner while taking quiet sips from his herbal tea.

After more senseless bickering, Mugen grumpily shoved past the two women, swearing indistinguishable obscenities in his wake. His pissed off disposition might end up scaring_ away _the aquatic life he'd been instructed to catch. Today—several days after their fruitless hunting excursion in the nearby forest—Obaasan had thrust a fishing rod at the swordsman, practically screaming about his uselessness in every area concerning manual labor. Luckily, he knew how to fish better than hunt…unlike Jin.

So off he went.

Along the lane, the resonance of two wooden clogs clanked eastward, towards the half frozen seashore. Shards of hoarfrost glittered while dancing along the frothing afternoon tides. Someone shouted excitedly to another fisherman on a gently bobbing boat, hauling in an impressive number of spiny lobster from the foamy depths below. Village kids in their sullied clothes innocently poked an odd rock; when it came to life—_a crab_—they ran off screaming their little bratty heads off. One bumped into the ex-pirate.

"Watch where yer' goin' squirt!" he spat out.

The boy squeaked and darted.

A simple day: a nice day. _'And extremely fuckin' boring day.'_

As usual, the citizens hopped from the sandy, sleet path like avoiding a carrier of some terminal disease. He flashed a glare at a pauper who'd stared for a second too long. Mugen wondered who ticked him off more: those who feared or those who attempted to command.

While the lawless wanderer couldn't stand that _old bitch at the restaurant_, at the same time, Mugen couldn't bring himself to legitimately_ hate_ her. Laborious must have been the life that Obaasan lived. Contrary to what many chose to believe, human emotion wasn't a subject he was naïve to. And when his glower of opposition carefully examined that washed up hag, what he saw did not represent pure anger. Or spite for that matter.

It had to be sadness.

Plus, Fuu really enjoyed her company. After all, the aged broad disdained any swordsman's presence,_ not Fuu's_. _Obviously._

Serenity was better suited for places not inhabited by people of his ilk anyway. Obaasan had more than a few good reasons to complain on his presence with or without knowing of his long, inerasable list of past crimes—_sins_. Living each and every day domestically, where the façade of life being just perfectly fucking dandy (when it never would be) didn't fit into his existence quite right. These dirty looks and whispers from the terrified townsfolk made Mugen simply remember who_—what—_he was. Animalistic blood simmered with unsettled tension; the need to fight.

But Fuu…she _loved_ it here. She loved the villagers, the children—she loved the view of the sea and the peace; she even grew quite fond of Obaasan. Why wouldn't the girl be… It always stayed quiet. _Safe._

_Maybe this should be the time to slip away quietly then. _

He'd been planning to for days.

Traveling together had never been easy. Low funds, obstacles blocking their path, Jin still missing and then the way the shogunate hunted them down made their expedition all the more difficult. Around an ex-pirate who'd plundered places not unlike this seaside town, he fully believed Fuu would_ never_ feel the ease of security. Sooner or later, some shogun lapdog would catch a whiff of his scent more easily than hers…and that would put_ her_ life at stake.

Besides, they needed to face the facts. There'd been no hard evidence on Jin's whereabouts for months now.

He should leave. Rather, Mugen thought it better to think he _must_.

Unfortunately, for the past week…a certain repeated scenario had gone down.

Each night, Mugen silently passed the teahouse—planning to disappear on the ice stricken road—but he'd imagined_ her_ nagging voice…and put it off for another morning.

…_Each morning_, he wandered the daybreak beaches—thinking of drifting off to sea in some small boat—but he'd mentally see _her _tears …and felt another string bind him to her side; or iron linked chain tied him to her…more likely.

'_Fuck… I ain't frickin' whipped! The bitch couldn't survive without me before… That's why I stayed… That's why…'_

The longer this foreseeable departure would be dragged on for, the harder a burden it would be to bear: abandoning her.

_Abandon_. That's what this consisted of…didn't it.

'_Shit. Gotta have some time to think this plan through. Screw fishing, screw work!' _

Thoughts of Fuu cursing his every step, Mugen headed back the way he came, with more swears, more rocks kicked from his path, more people staring.

* * *

><p>The poor table got scrubbed down <em>so gratingly<em> that the shabby timber legs looked ready to snap in half! "He is absolutely_ useless_! I am only putting up with his unacceptable behavior for you, Fuu-chan." Back in the teahouse, Fuu apologized time and time again for Mugen's brashness while the crone continued to address her growing trepidations with the tattooed vagabond.

Only when the subject changed did the rant manage to dissipate: the waitress mentioned she planned to learn how to make "drive-in" fisherman's nets. From what Fuu knew, one person makes a commotion in the waters to "drive" schools of fish into the net that another individual holds. If the job was successful, there would be a bountiful number in store. And so, after finishing torturing the table, Obaasan brought over bundles of twine, demonstrating through her feeble fingers, ways to bind and secure the rope into web like patterns. It had to be fastened right or the foragers would sift through.

The same gray haired gentleman sitting in the corner observed their weaving lesson. Fuu glanced the customer's way, giving a shamefaced smile so as to not seem the outlandish lass that Mugen managed to stir up earlier. It could've been a piece of her imagination possibly… Yet, for some reason Fuu couldn't shake off the suspicion that the man looked familiar. Even stranger…were the daisho blades strapped to the right of the fellow's hakama. Some obscure kamon symbol adorned his shoulder of an unknown clan.

Usually Obaasan wouldn't exhibit any tolerance for passerbys of the like in town:_ samurai._

An entire week had gone without incidence in the beachside settlement, and the blanket of over assuring peace almost made where they stood on the government's agenda a distant, forgotten fret. _This patron_ could be some Edo domain affiliate, or…someone pursuing the bounty attached to the government's edict.

Why had Obaasan let him dine here? Generosity? To arrest Mugen?

Anxiously, she chewed on her bottom lip. When his washed out eyes averted to the lattices in the window, she subtly moved the lacquer, trinket adorned tanto into her bindings. _'Stay on guard, always.' _she reminded herself. One of these days…Mugen should teach her how to wield a _real_ weapon, rather than a pink dagger that nobody took seriously!

Going back to the weaving, Fuu's musings grew restless over the crisscrosses in the twine…_ He'd_ once been tangled in a fishnet, a deadweight creature of the sea... Upon discovery of his pseudo "corpse" back then—snarled within the mesh with trails of wet seaweed and flopping fish—she hated the very idea of looking at any net.

Her hands scrabbled around… More knots broke loose. More rope refused to be interlaced.

Laughter arose from the old lady's mouth that usually stayed crumpled into a frown; Fuu jumped in surprise. "Oh, forgive me. Watching you fumble this way and that reminds me of my daughter. She used to be terrible at making nets."

"Sorry…" apologized Fuu with a blush.

"No, it's a good memory. The first fishnet she'd ever finished, she'd been so proud of it! …But our family cat found it and clawed his way through!"

"Oh, you had a cat?"

Several gaps and soft pink gums were revealed when the elder smiled. Baffled by that too, Fuu _never_ noticed the spaces where teeth used to be…since Obaasan had never grinned in such a way. "When my daughter left, she made sure to take that troublemaking tomcat along! She had the little thing as a kitten. Never went_ anywhere_ without him."

"How cute! My family used to have a cat. I remember he'd always hide under my blankets and fall asleep. But its vague…since he died when I was young." the girl reminisced fondly. _"Kabocha-san"_ had been her striped tabby's name.

"Such a shame. Ah, wait here for a moment."

Fuu watched her hunched back move unsteadily to the back kitchen with a weak smile.

Throughout their extended stay, the teashop owner and waitress shaped a connection and an even stronger bond of friendship. Sure, she was cranky about pretty much _everything_…constantly insisting they finish chores, and help to provide food for the villager's plates. However, she wasn't anything like the woman Fuu worked for back in Edo prior to Mugen re-entering her life: Sayoko the Hag. Her complaints seemed justified, for she worked for others, not out of greed. Over the years, Obaasan even went as far as remembering the names of every customer, _and _their parents…and their _parent's parents_.

Conversation between the two could be held for hours on end over the cooking and serving. Many times, the woman would tell Fuu tales of the long lost daughter who'd ran off with her samurai fiancé. She didn't doubt that she'd become the first person the teahouse owner was able to tell such stories to. With the honest and inquisitive girl, it appeared the hardened shell Obaasan built had been able to splinter…if only a little.

In a sense, Fuu rejuvenated the energy in Obaasan' soul.

The only aspect that truly bothered the waitress more than anything else was her unbending will against Mugen's disposition. While the blunt ex-criminal _clearly wasn't the_ _easiest _person to associate one's self with…he was trying; trying _pretty damn hard_ to be civilized from what Fuu could make out.

Now that Fuu thought about it, Mugen hadn't made anymore mentions of their departure from the Ise Bay settlement. She wondered how long they were to continue staying, if they were to continue running or searching, or both.

His restlessness never receded though. Fuu would still find him wandering the beaches… He seemed like he intended to avoid her more and more… What an oddity he was.

Straw sandals still scraped awkwardly on the floor, counter to drawer, and back again. After rummaging blindly in another shelf that stood just a few inches too high, Obaasan appeared to have found what'd been sought. She returned with more exuberance than she'd left with.

Lifting the baffled waitress' palms, the white haired woman bestowed something into them gently. It felt cold, and smooth: like stone. "I would like you to have it. It's something I'd made for my daughter for her fourteenth birthday. She'd forgotten it before she left, as it originally belonged in a pair. But she'd only taken the small dog charm I carved out."

Confused, Fuu peered downward at her opened hands and the painted charm placed within them. Small in its stature, it resembled a chubby, chibi cat—orange with stripes, and large round eyes—to wear for good luck. Fuu knew she must have been going crazy then. Because this trinket—just like that samurai—ignited some far-flung recollection cast in the nadirs of her past. Maybe it reminded Fuu of her own deceased pet feline again. They looked almost identical.

Or maybe…something else. What was it…

Her head shook, "I-I can't accept this!"

"My daughter will never receive it. And you had a pet cat too. So please, _take it_."

"I…" Again, she took in the sight of the gift. It wasn't just a meager ornament. The chibi cat was crafted by hand, which already proved a painstaking task in itself from marble, then painted in devoted detail. This little present held great weight; something meant for a daughter, not any random person passing through town.

Tears began to form. Without any warning, she'd enveloped the frail lady in a tight hug, making sure to refrain from squeezing _too_ hard lest her brittle bones would crack. "Thank you so much, Obaasan!"

"It's nothing much, compared to the great help you've been to both myself and the villagers." she replied, patting the elated girl's shoulder.

"It's no problem, really! Thank you for giving us shelter. I really love it here."

"If you'd like, then you could always stay. I can make a permanent residence here for you." said Obaasan eagerly.

Prickly vibrations formed in the back of Fuu's throat. They were uneasily gulped back down.

"I, well…me and Mugen-"

Prior to the sentence's end, that tender smile…twisted quickly into the typical downcast, puckered scowl. Obaasan shambled away once more, back to the counter, keeping busy with rinsing out a number of stray platters the earlier patrons left. These dishes too…were scrubbed down vigorously similar to the table.

"_Mugen_. Now that man… He is rather…_difficult_."

"No, he-"

"May I ask Fuu-chan, _why_ you are traveling with him?"

"We're actually searching for our friend, my other ex-bodyguard.",making no mention of being on the run... Things weren't very bright anyway.

The mysterious old samurai cleared his throat after swallowing down the hot beverage too fast; his droopy lids shot open. The women didn't notice.

"Are there any samurai in this town?" asked Fuu.

A sudsy covered saucer slipped and cracked in half. Obaasan flashed Fuu a certain look; it _shouted _disapproval…judgment…almost repulsion so much so that Fuu flinched, averting her sights to the space between her feet. Most likely, it'd been mistakenly assumed that Fuu planned to marry a samurai like her daughter had! "Actually two. It's rare for me to condone to any kind of warrior staying in this town. Not different from my…_discernments_ with your _companion Mugen_." Anyone could catch the insipid distaste when uttering that name. "But, one of them is only a samurai by name and grew up here. He's a traveler that usually leaves the village for years on end. He's sitting right over there."

Lifting a finger, she pointed at the man nursing the same oolong tea. "Inuyama-san! This child would like to have a word with you."

Samurai "only by name" didn't convince… Evidence shown that katana were wielded for many years; his forearms were exceptionally brawny regardless of his age which surely spoke of early fifties, judging by the deep age lines setting in.

Clearly it wasn't Jin.

On another note, it was relieving that this samurai had been a resident here, and Obaasan knew the man personally. But Fuu _still_ couldn't disregard the gut feeling of familiarity in his creased face, gray hair tied up tight in a high ponytail like that. Even the clothes were decipherable; gray kimono top with that black mark on one shoulder and pleated hakama to match…

"Miss, I could not wave away the feeling that you look familiar." Inuyama said suddenly, practically relaying her thoughts back. "Forgive me if I were staring earlier."

Astounded, the young waitress took steps towards his seat, "So do you, sir."

"Maybe our paths have once crossed. If I recall, a girl like you traveled with two bodyguards almost two and a half years ago. One of them is the man who'd just left with the fishing pole, correct?"

Fuu nodded excitedly.

Even now, tossing away the broken plate, the elderly woman failed to understand how anyone could hire an animal like that lawless buffoon to protect them!

"Yes! Then we must have passed each other on the road at some point! Mugen helped me find my father when I was fifteen."

"Then, I assume you've discovered all you needed to know…on your sunflower scented samurai."

'_What does he know of my father?'_ Fuu considered that strange choice of words…

Obaasan looked perplexed on the subject altogether.

With a quizzical tilt of the head, Inuyama stared between the two females—one so young…the other so old. ...His confusion soon receded as he nodded to himself in swift understanding. The warrior decided on changing the topic fast. "Your other bodyguard, he wore glasses I remember. And blue." added in the middle-aged warrior.

"You _did _meet him, then!"

"I'll admit we'd spoken before, briefly." he recalled.

* * *

><p><em>There is rising steam and…silence clouding the distance between the samurai. Different types of tension exuding from the two. Heat floods from the spring, but Jin exhibits a reserved, closed off coldness. <em>

_An innocent glowbug hovers past Inuyama's face, floating a daub of luminescence upon the older man's warm expression. He lifts a single finger. "Do you know why fireflies give off their glow?" he says to Jin, who watches curiously without a word. "It's the male and females calling out to each other." _

"_However, they say that every once in awhile…two males end up attracting each other." _

_Jin will have no more of this. "Excuse me." he closes his eyes. And with a reply that holds not an inkling of emotion, the twenty year old ronin turns to leave the old homosexual alone to his own perverted desires._

_But words cease his departure. "That reminds me! The truth is, I've heard of him: of the samurai. You know, the sunflower samurai that the young lady spoke of!"_

_Jin turns his head to the side, inquisitive… More than that…vigilant._

* * *

><p>"Really?! You've spoken?!" she jerked alive, eyes bright, fingers flying to the tabletop. "Have you seen Jin since then?!"<p>

"No…" his smile withered into something rather wistful. "But I do wish to go to-"

"So," Obaasan started, "I assume you've both been on some adventures. I heard from another customer that you plan to leave the village for good, Inuyama-san."

"Yes. I'll be moving on. I've come back only to visit some old friends, for memories and…unfinished business." …This made Fuu wonder what kind of unfinished business he meant. Something seemed_ off_; then again…her instinct never showed out to be the best.

"Speaking of which," the samurai stood, "I should be getting to that later today."

Finishing the herbal tea gone cold with a polite "Goshisou-sama", the kindly customer placed the cup down, along with several brass coins as payment. He left without another word, the graceful _tap tap_ of his sandals gently receding from the teahouse window until only quiet returned.

"If more samurai were like him, I wouldn't disdain them so much." the old woman remarked, picking up the mug and going to soak it. "Oh, the_ other_ lives on the hill that overlooks the village… A recluse it seems, and that suits me just fine. Unlike Inuyama-san, he has a bloody history. I'd much rather have him stay as far from us as possible."

This caught her interest. _Reclusive _fit Jin's category. "Then I should go see him right away."

"If you would, bring him some firewood. He's probably forgotten about it and with my bad back and all…"

"No problem! I'll be heading there anyway."

"Tell him to get it himself next time, and be cautious. This samurai…he is known for killing many men… I do not trust him."

Shortly thereafter, Fuu traversed the thin town avenue, passing a line of straw thatched homes whose enduring wood spoke of a long age. She'd rolled up and fastened her loose sleeves with thread on her upper arms to keep the cloth from slipping down again—something she always detested about feminine attire. _'Kimonos are such a hassle!' _ After hitting the end of the village, a distinctive pebbly trail crawled up the inclined hill—the same cliff the travelers stood upon several days ago. Far at the end of it, there remotely sat a small wooden construct, gazing over the tops of the other houses, and in the direction of where the sun rose at the start of each torpid day.

Excitement abound, Fuu's speed accelerated despite the heavy lumber in tow.

No clouds or wind passed. It stayed fairly warm. Her thick soled zori skirted past the rocks and bumps, the hulking pile of logs slipping from her grip every time she lost balance. _'Where the hell is Mugen when I could use some help!' _ But the whole trek took only about five minutes.

Arriving with the hunks of firewood miraculously intact, she barely could reach one hand to knock on the hut's makeshift entrance. "Excuse me? Is anyone here?" If their four-eyed friend stood behind that door, all this searching would be over…

Did she want this to end though?

Not long did Fuu get to consider it; the door moved. Every inch it shifted to one side, her heart and mind bounded in two separate directions…_much like her bodyguards had once done years ago._

"May I help you?"

Nothing at all like Jin. Nothing at all like _any_ samurai she'd ever seen, actually.

He almost certainly lived around the same amount of years as the samurai at the teahouse. Unlike Inuyama however, the hermit's visage wasn't clean-shaven or tidy whatsoever—a haggardly beard and long hair grew disheveled, even worse than Mugen's. It frazzled about in tangles of raven with streaks of gray that stood out in the cavernous dark. And his clothes…they were in even worse shape; threadbare with loose strings, tattered holes. Upon his bony, slightly protruding shoulders, he'd wrapped a large quilt that smelled heavily of damp musk…rot.

"O-oh! Sorry to intrude. The old woman from the village wanted to give you these." explained the female quickly, jostling the logs into the hermit's arms.

"I appreciate that, young lady."

The isolation seeker stacked half of the pile beside the entrance, and she assisted in carrying the rest inside. The cabin this supposed samurai inhabited had a single room, not far in comparison from most of the village homes, except…it felt claustrophobic; the walls were begging to cave in, and the weather beaten ceiling didn't reach incredibly high. Stuffy odors floated along with the built up dust. Comprised mainly of hardened clay, the rotten flooring needed to have several fissured holes filled.

If lonesome were an atmosphere, this house fit the bill.

After replenishing the dying fire, the ronin sat on the opposite side of the small pit in the center of the room. Fuu returned to the exit. Yet…it nagged her to say something more.

"Anou, what's your name?"

"They call me Mumei here. That name is enough."

…Mumei; _without a name_. Fitting for someone who chose to forget his past and refused to embrace a future. He didn't bother to say anything else_. _

_How sickly he seemed, how lonely; like her father…_

"May I ask you something else?" After his somber nod, she continued, "Why do you want to be so far from the town?"

"Everyone has their reasons."

"So…you really killed a lot of people like Obaasan said."

Mumei did not answer this assumption directly, instead noticing the oddities of his unexpected visitor."You are not _afraid_. That is strange."

"I've been around my fair share of warriors." she shrugged dismissively. "Violence has a way of following me…"

"Perhaps being around so much violence makes you appreciate the steep price of a life." he said.

Of course. She'd lost her parents and several acquaintances on the first journey—Shinsuke, Okuru, Sara—and others along the way. More than once, Jin and Mugen also crossed over the brink of life and death…and somehow managed to return unscathed… Well,_ almost_ unscathed. Usually her minimal knowledge on healing managed to patch up the broken pieces they became; even though each stitch she applied, and bandage she wrapped…Fuu was the one who truly felt ready to break.

Eventually, he'd given an invitation for the woman to take a seat on the other side of the pit fire and with graciousness, she took the offer and kneeled respectfully. "Your curiosity is tenacious… If you must know, I was once was under the command of a lord of great renown, and by protecting him, I became known as 'the conqueror of a thousand swords'. At least, that's what many people called me. But I've honestly lost count of the number… Many fabricate the truth of other's lives."

"Still, that's impressive for you to gain a title like that!"

"_Impressive_?" he wound the frayed quilt tighter around himself. "No… It's _sickening_. All the pointless death… I wanted to escape that life, start fresh. So after my retirement, I came here. I'm merely a leftover relic of a time that no longer matters; there is no war. I have no further reason to want to continue fighting."

"Do the villagers accept you?"

"Some. They give me offerings and such, and I bring in hulls of fish when I can. But…it seems they fear me. Maybe that is for the best. I feel like I will only bring more burdens; more worry…more blood."

In the lifeless eyes of the retired warrior, she witnessed the glimmer of forgotten purpose. "My father was like you," Fuu cast a long stare into the center of the oak cinders; the leisurely burning lumber released a sweet fragrance into the stuffy air that once smelled of mold and decay. "He never wanted to get others involved in his problems. But, you shouldn't be like that, sir. It doesn't matter what past you've lived."

"Your father, what happened to him?"

"He died…with many regrets."

"What is your name?"

"Fuu." she answered, as they listened to the day's first breeze lightly tinkle a wind chime laced around the exterior window frame.

"Fuu, your heart is honest, and your spirit is like that of an honorable warrior. Japan's samurai should follow in your footsteps if they ever wish to regain the honor and true meaning of bushido…"

For much time, they'd conversed, curious on each other's mindsets and viewpoints. Time did not wait, and when their chat ended, twilight stood eager to arise. The last remains of orange-yellow skylight prodded through the broken slats in the ceiling.

"Is it alright for me to come back once in a while?"

"If you wish."

She returned to the exit, "Do you think…you will ever tell me your _real_ name?"

"Maybe someday." he replied.

"I'll keep you to that, then." When the sweet young woman opened the door, Mumei saw her turn back for a moment. Sunshine revealed another rosy smile. Then Fuu—a name he'd never forget—departed down the hilly road.

Left alone again, Mumei suddenly felt the steady warmness ebbing from the deserting flames…

* * *

><p>Hectic fishermen back from their day's work with lines dragging behind greeted the jogging girl; Mugen was not among them. She quickly had to apologize to the old lady for tardiness on the job. Instead, she allowed for the rest of the slow day off so, Fuu exited the town once more, to check in <em>on a certain someone<em>.

Like the hut the ex-samurai dwelled in, their temporary shelter was built just off the end of the town's lane in the opposite direction of the cabin atop the hill.

"I'm back." she called, nudging the rotten, warped board making up the storeroom door.

Only the slew of jars and containers—filled with spices, salted fish, as well as pickled vegetables—greeted the woman from the overstocked shelves. Much leftover food remained since the annual harvest went well from the prolonged lukewarm climate. When the travelers had first arrived, they held back_ immensely_ from eating everything in that room. …No mystery to Mugen that Fuu really_ could_ eat everything without difficulty.

_Ever the productive one_, the active fighter was currently elevated off the floor with his tattooed arms shoulder length apart. He lowered his body using only his flexing biceps, and then back up, "Eighty…five." Mugen tallied aloud, with a sharp inhale, slower exhale. He lowered himself with his arms once more. "Eighty…six."

Her eyebrow twitched. "…_What _are you doing?"

Between each brief gasp, he skillfully performed another push-up that stayed remarkably straight. "It's really…hard…to concentrate…on...working out…and counting…when someone's…naggin'."

"Ninety two." Fuu added with a nasty grin…knowing the number actually hit _ninety five_.

Too concentrated on the execution of these sets, Mugen failed to take note of the trap that'd been set. "Ninety…three."

"Forty seven." counted the waitress slyly.

"Forty…eight."

"Seventy nine."

"Eighty…Wait…" The man could've sworn…

His brow scrunched up in dumbfounded realization. "Wasn't I on…" He'd stopped, raised off the floor, muscles twitching erratically. Sweat swept in hot, dewy droplets over his tawny skin, breaths all the more labored from the extreme push-up workout. "You little bitch! I lost count 'cause a' you!"

"I'm surprised you even know_ how_ to count." And before he could protest this claim, the crafty "little bitch" prevented any chance for a cocky comeback, "_So_, did you catch the fish yet?"

His exhausted form collapsed after reaching (what he hoped was) his hundredth set. "Nope."

"Why not?!"

"Well I took a nap 'cause it's so boring here. Then…" he idly scratched the base of his stubble with a thumb...thinking…thinking some more…

"Then?!"

"Then I started workin' out. Gotta keep this sexy body in shape since I haven't fought anyone in a while."

Fuu rolled her eyes, "That's_ all_ you worry about! Eating, getting laid and fighting everyone!"

"Damn straight." he grinned, all the more infuriating his pink clad companion. "Not enough chow they let us eat, no busty babes lookin' for fun, and no badasses around. Got rotten luck in this backwater shithole."

Oh, she could stroll over and slap him across the head right now! (Though her self-control prevented the event.) "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're _not_ the _only_ strong fighter here. There's a samurai at the teahouse and another one-"

His lashes darkened his stare. "…Samurai?"

"Don't worry. He lived here before, and is just stopping through for the last time. As far as I can tell, he wasn't sent by the government."

"An' the other guy?"

"Oh, he's a ronin. You know that hut at the top of the sea cliff? That's where he lives, away from everyone. But I talked with him and…he's really nice. It's a shame Obaasan doesn't like him. It's probably because the legend goes he killed over a thousand warriors, almost like _Musashi_!" That last phrase had Mugen shooting straight up, making way to the exit…until it became blockaded by an _oh so intimidating _teenage brat. One hand rested upon the developing bend of her hip, and the other pointed at the ex-pirate's scrunched nose. "I _swear_, we're_ supposed_ to be pulling our own weight or they'll boot us out!"

"You remind me 'a that old lady, always bitchin' about _somethin'_. And that Baba witch had it out for me ever since we got here anyway; so what difference does it make."

"You can tell?"

Another question became the answer. "Why? She say some shit about me?"

In truth, the stubborn old lady had said a fair amount of things that were in no way positive reinforcements, but good intentioned Fuu didn't wish to cause more sparks between Obaasan and Mugen. So she tried to think of something that would allude to it without saying the worst, "Obaasan said before that…_I_ should be careful around you."

Who knew…this would offend Mugen more than anything else that could've been said. Again, his tumultuous eyes tinted to a murky amalgam of gray and dark brown.

He stepped forward… She didn't move. Another step did little else… She resisted getting out of his path—unlike the villagers who usually dispersed as soon as a crimson haori came into view…

But then he_ leaned forward,_ balancing his forearm above her_,_ and she reflexively _leaned back _into the bent, corroding doorframe. "How 'bout you?"

"What_ about_ me?" puffed the girl.

His face dipped down until they met eye to eye. God, she swore properly breathing was literally _impossible_ whenever Mugen did stupid stuff like this!

"…Do you?"

"D-Do I what?"

"Do _you_ think I'm a danger to ya?"

Her eyes went big.

Why couldn't she just _say_ _yes_… Make it easier when already it proved too damn difficult to decide. Then, he could leave this place, leave her life. Move on for good. He knew though—as much as he hoped she wouldn't—that the teahouse waitress would shake her head, auburn locks swaying back and forth against cheeks that sweltered fiercely in a pink to match her clothes. "Not to me you aren't… I already told you before, you _never _hurt me."

Her proclamation wasn't over. "And you never will." she made sure to add firmly.

All of his recent aggravations collided into one, simple scoff. At least, Fuu considered it a scoff. Then, with her oh so innocent chocolaty orbs growing bigger, he tottered close again.

Fuu cold no longer handle this treatment, no longer handle the agonizing clenching of her ribs on her pulsating heart, the lack of space and oxygen between the two…his sneer that came so close to her mouth that opened just a little…

"Don't be too sure." Smoothly, Mugen swerved off and out the door before the other could even blink… "Catch ya later, girlie."

"Where are you going?!"

"Where the hell else?!"

If brothels and food were out of the question, the only thing exciting left would be the warrior that lived here… So he'd probably-

Oh no.

"Chotto! Just because you want to challenge someone, he, he's _not_ a bad person! Why would you-MUGEN!" Too late; he'd started a fixed path in the direction leading up the rock-strewn mound.

Maybe it'd be best if the nosy girl followed…

* * *

><p>"Yo…anybody home?" The door to the hut already stood ajar when he'd arrived. <em>Strange. <em>At first, the scent of charred firewood entered his nostrils but that mild aroma quickly faded…replaced by a horridly rank stench. The odor, fetid in nature—reminiscent of _death_—hung heavy through the mildewed air. In heavily spaced steps, Mugen entered the dingy abode, already mentally preparing for the moment his sword may have to be drawn.

Streams of blood trickled into the numerous fractures in the clay, flooding over the musty floor of the one-roomed hut. Its source derived from a corpse still preserving a firm grip on a rusted katana just nearby…

The carcass had a scraggly beard and colorless clothes.

Over the corpse stood another, older samurai—dressed in gray and black—who flicked his blade once. From hilt to tip until it shined pristine again, the unspecified swordsman cleaned off the unsightly stains on wax paper tucked into his clothes. He made no attempt to hide himself or the committed crime.

Although an instigator by nature, who always planned to test his meddle on someone of higher caliber, he first wanted to see what the guy was all about. Especially after Fuu held a conversation with him. Never one to _force _out a fight, he mostly waited for the moment some sorry prick wanted to start shit first.

He sought to see his reasoning…his perceptions, learn a new technique perhaps.

But now…

"Why the hell did ya kill him?!"

"It's my line of work; assassination." replied the stranger in a deadpan tone. "This man was hated by many, loved by none. I suppose a ronin with no master will always have enemies, don't you think? A bit of a disappointment compared to my usual targets though… Probably _much_ different from your skills, Mugen…if I recall your name being."

This samurai _knew _his name.

"My my, what a handsome face you have. But I prefer men less…_rough_ in appearance. Grace like_ your_ _ronin_ companion had is far more attractive…" His toothy smirk gave rise to disgust in the conflicting male's gut. By no means was homosexuality rare within samurai culture, as far as Mugen knew; that actually became one of the main reasons he'd figured Jin was gay. That is, until he paid for that prostitute in Hamamatsu: Kohana—_and then when he thought Fuu and Jin_…

Bizarre though that the man knew both Mugen and mentioned a "ronin companion"… Which that really surmounted to being Jin if anyone…

And if this man was an assassin, that could only mean…

He grasped the European blade strapped upon his back, preparing to unsheathe it at the next movement that aroused suspicion. "Who hired you."

"It's always different. Though, I only take contracts against opponents with a title of expert swordsmanship… Forgive me, I've been rude in failing to introduce myself. My name is Inuyama." he gave a bow.

Instead of attacking—much to the surprise of the dubious ryukyuan—he walked right past him, contentedly breathing in the brittle winter draft like smelling expensive cologne. Still, the set of steeled eyes did not remove from this murderer's back.

The razor-sharp katana slid back into its scabbard in a metallic click. "Ahhhhh. Alas, I haven't gotten the fulfillment of a good duel in a long while. And only one blessed me with the_ pure_ _satisfaction _of kenjutsu."

"Who..."

Inuyama turned sideways, glancing back at the dark skinned ex-pirate standing inside… "Jin, I believe his name was. You _were_ his companion, correct?"

Mugen's mood eddied into a brooding maelstrom of fury.

He knew it_. 'Another one of the shogun's fuckin' dogs.'_

Rage corrupted any remaining search for reason. All of his uninhibited power in one movement, Mugen violently kicked a pile of firewood that stood by the entry, not even feeling the excruciating pain of doing so. This did not quell his sudden rush of anger pulsating throughout each of his limbs, burning _hotter and hotter_, coals that scorched his very soul. Thus, it did not surprise Inuyama when the wild man's knuckles sunk into one of the crumbling walls of the hut.

He wanted to kill. He _needed _to kill. Now was the time.

"You son of a bitch!" That's when Mugen drew his sword, aiming it directly at Inuyama's chin. "Don't walk away from me! You're on pal. Draw your sword."

"There is no contract entailing that I kill _you_…"

_Then why had he killed Jin?!_

"Mugen, what are you doing?!" voiced a recognizable female shriek.

"Ah, well if it isn't the waitress from earlier." the eldest remarked with another formal curtsy.

Her ex-bodyguard made way around the new threat, sidestepping in front of the girl. "Stay the hell away from her! If_ she's_ your target, then so am I."

"What's going on?! What are you talking about?! Where's the man that lives here?!" Fuu demanded. Quickly, she pushed past the two men—one calm, the other ready to implode—and darted to the rundown hovel at the crest of the lonely hill.

The tomb.

First she saw the blood…then the stiffening cadaver. Death stared back at her from that soiled floor, eyes glassy, barren of spirit… He, even in death…looked bereaved. She would never know of the hermit's name, never get the chance to ask more questions…to help subdue that _suffocating loneliness._ It took everything to stifle her whimpers.

"Mugen…how could you… You _couldn't_ have!"

"I didn't do it! The bastard who killed Jin did!"

Already Inuyama strolled off again.

Jin,_ dead? _

On that treeless rock face overlooking the ocean—where Mugen and Fuu's minds froze on _one _name—the broiling waves crashed intermittently onto the weakening boulders below. Howls of saddened wind blew through their ears, the pestering force pushing their backs that refused to stir.

Emotion betrayed their intentions to keep leveled heads and while the sobs from Fuu were obscured by a large current of air, Mugen's chest _heaved_ at uneven intervals.

_They'd never be able to reunite the whole trio, just another memory of searching for scentless sunflowers…and passing seasons._

_No_, she rejected that very notion! Just like when her father had gone off, never to return, she would _not_ accept anyone saying he'd died without so much as a final goodbye.

Jin had to be alive.

How could she believe that though—_here of all places_—an assassin saying he'd met and fought Jin, another dead samurai nearby…

Only her voice cut higher than the escalating collisions of rock, and sea, and wind. "NO! That _can't_ be how you knew Jin! There's…there's no way! You told me-"

"Your confused friend is enraged that I once dueled against your companion. He should settle down before searching for needless skirmishes."

Again, Mugen pointed the claymore edge at the bastard across the icy grass, "Don't give me that bullshit! If you're tough enough to take 'im down, you're MY opponent."

"You are mistaken. I bear no ill way against Jin, or you, or-"

"QUIT SPEWIN' BULLSHIT AND FIGHT, GODDAMMIT!"

A quick swipe of metal went thwarted by another. The loud clank echoed, the blustery air carrying the _ding _farther and higher, past the western forest and towering mountains beyond. Inuyama had unsheathed his own weapon again at a speed none would expect and parried the uncoming blow with startling ease. "One must always keep a leveled head. Jin knew that." proclaimed the killer, his tone condescending, _irritating_ from the other side of the interlocked blades_._

"SHUT UP!" After pushing back, Mugen sidestepped, sword and mind at the ready.

In the flicker of an eye, his carnal spirit broke free from the confinement it'd been suffering in for far too long. He ran towards the man again, wildly slashing, rolling, flipping. Routine. Unplanned routine.

Attempt after attempt had no result. Each time, the man effortlessly evaded such fierce intentions. When a vertical cut failed, Mugen rolled forward, past the samurai until he faced his back… And again, he missed. Backflipping so space remained between the two, he again curved the claymore in attempts to find some blind spot Inuyama failed to reveal.

"My my. You use up far too much energy."

Mugen hadn't fought this way for much time…not since Kariya Kagetoki…and Umanousuke after he'd beaten Fuu to near unconsciousness.

Relentlessly, his war cries roared. High kicks to the left, slashes at angles near impossible to avoid, repeated in indistinguishable patterns…patterns that two keen eyes were beginning to recognize..

On the contrary, Inuyama stayed on the defensive, deflecting every assault with seasoned skill that could only belong to that of a kenjutsu master. Any hope for Jin's existence went astray. _If anyone killed him, it should've been him! _

"Your form is tainted." his opponent continued to taunt.

"You talk too damn much!

Inuyama was correct all the same. His own form demonstrated pure, unsullied grace. Every movement stood to lead into the next. They were premeditated, fluid; one chess piece preparing for the finale. Mugen could tell…that each attack _he _made, each unpredictable move…was being scrutinized and read like a jumbled pattern that would soon be made clear.

Mugen's tactlessness would not win this battle.

"Please, don't do this! I don't want to see this!" But the wind's swift escalation and the riotous clashing of steel smothered her pleas.

Her ex-boyguard's eyes withheld a brewing storm of wrath that Fuu didn't wish to see. That scared her; that he would again endeavor to throw away his life in a fit of sheer recklessness. She couldn't handle this again, all the fighting, more death and chaos. All Fuu wished for was to be shielded from the view of this ensuing duel.

Already, the instinctive combatant drew in grave gulps for oxygen after the numerous unsuccessful strokes. Yet Inuyama seemed unfazed by the one-sided skirmish; his breathing remained leveled, gaze in a disinterested sag.

"Are you aware that strong emotion can cause one's actions to be disoriented…even _careless_?"

_There stood an opening in the defense; he'd spotted it, a malicious grin all knowing._

Head ablaze in a smoky fire of memory and torment…the ryukyuan failed to notice Inuyama swerve to the side. Bursts of hot pain shot through his right arm.

"Mugen!"

"Otherwise, your actions relying on instinct will be very predictable to your opponent." Inuyama nodded, separating his hands on the hilt. He lecherously licked off the freshly spilt blood from the sharp side of his katana that'd successfully made first contact.

"Son of a-"

It'd cut through his baggy red sleeve, sinking deep into a layer of skin. They could see his haori darken an abnormal shade in that area. _So…this was Inuyama's plan, to incapacitate his adversary…_ Even now…he could barely take full hold of the European steel.

She watched from the sidelines, hands over her mouth, eyes welling. Out of all the times he'd fought, his confidence would remain. But seeing her stricken with such fear—the knowledge that he would soon fail—…_that_ terrified him.

There was little respite in this bitter game. And the assassin lunged forward once more.

The katana—so very fast, that even Fuu couldn't see—just missed slicing Mugen's throat. It instead shaved the claymore when he'd gone to guard. The block had been botched; a slide of iron carved into the back of Mugen's hand. A leather string came loose where the girl had once tied a knot, and the turquoise magatama bead fell into the snow. _The bead that would provide protection._

This time, he no longer could hold his own sword.

Grasping his hand that now bled uncontrollably, Mugen stood defenseless. Off guard. Another hack cut into his haori, and Mugen ducked unnaturally to avoid the deadly swing. He'd lost balance.

Plummeting hard on his back, cranium ringing intolerably, his weary stare barely could catch the glint of metal descending overhead through the sights of storm clouds inflicting the sky in tenebrous masses.

_Her_ earsplitting voice broke through the hazy fog. _And that scream brought back the memory that he can't yet die so easily._

By some means, whether it was luck or skill, Inuyama's assault got entrapped between plated geta when Mugen'd fallen hard.

"Just stop fighting!" None of the small cries for mercy went heard.

The samurai applied more pressure on the blade, pushing it down, closer…while Mugen—teeth bare; the same as a cornered wolf—used all of the strength within himself to push back with only his feet.

The samurai didn't stop. If he were capable enough to kill Jin, the retired samurai, and injure Mugen twice while not being compromised once…then…

Mugen could die.

"Inuyama-san, _please don't_!"

The samurai _wouldn't _stop, immersed far too deeply into the boiling peak of the climax of battle, past the point of reason; a soul drunk off of rounds of adrenaline. Behind the grin that only a devil could make, this battle hungry warrior was not capable of compassion. He found someone who fought in the same unadulterated way as himself; he found another tainted soul who would be consumed by death just as he.

Perspiration formed on Mugen's brow; his attempts to resist were in vain…weren't they.

_It was heavier than she expected. She was surprised she could even lift it._

Inuyama's katana hadn't ceased to lower; and Mugen kept it at bay with all the strength left to muster up. Alas, there remained no escape. Any minute his strength would waver beneath this assassin; the killer who'd slain Jin. By the tip of an assassin's katana, Mugen would-

_Then it happened. All quick, all unseen._

White flakes sprinkled down. Red water poured out.

Bright brown eyes misted suddenly.

For the first time, the ex-pirate noticed the snow, painted by a disheartening pallet of human blood. Instantly, he looked up.

In the split of a second, the tension building from Inuyama's arms went slack, until Mugen pushed him away while crawling on his quaking back and hands. Shock and confusion intermingled in the battle worn warriors. Inuyama…reveled in a small chuckle, the taste of sharp copper fresh in his gullet. By then, he'd collapsed to one knee, leaning on the hilt of the katana that'd faltered, stuck into the soil. "A woman? How…ironic! I loved men for their strength…and yet get caught off guard only by a female."

The unseen attacker yanked the blade out just as fast as it'd plunged halfway through the man's back. Blood dripped down the flat steel, past the grooves of the knobbed grip and onto shaky fingers that quickly loosened.

Fuu just stood there, trembles turning frantic…

…with the claymore in her hands.

Horror shadowed over Mugen more than Inuyama. This wasn't that different from…

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't come closer! GET BACK!" <em>

_Sara's kama-yari blade rises above. Then the quick patters of footsteps. And then…_

"…_NO!"_

_He hears her scream just as he feels her throw herself atop him. The girl shields him from what is to be the end._

"_No! Please…don't kill him!"_

* * *

><p>When she beheld the full weight of her actions…the heaviness returned. She collapsed to her knees as well, sword clattering nearby. "I...I'm so sorry. Oh God, I'm so sorry!" Her other palm, this one untainted by blood, went to cover her lips that barely contained a scream.<p>

The rivers secreting from his back and the tributaries running off the fallen European sword—a sword that'd once belonged to Kasumi Seizou—desecrated the purity of the unsullied snow. The samurai didn't seem the least bit surprised. He only clutched tightly at his gi… Thick fluid began to run from his tremulous lips, down to his chin with every word. "You were mistaken… Jin was the best duel I ever experienced…due to neither of us having won nor lost. Ryujiro, the man whose arm you'd cut off….had hired me…But…he'd already been killed…"

Now they remembered… They'd briefly met at a roadside stand shortly after their journey for the samurai who smelled of sunflowers began. Over two years ago by now. While a seductress poisoned Mugen, and Ryujiro and Oniwakamaru took Fuu hostage, Inuyama must have been the one who'd battled Jin in the midst of it all. "Our duel…was interrupted… I haven't…seen him since your journey for…Kasumi Seizou."

So they'd fought long ago. Jin must still be out there somewhere; _alive_.

Their stomach's twisted. _More death for no good reason._

She crawled to his side, having difficulty asking the dying man, "How…how did you know the sunflower samurai's name was Kasumi Seizou? Why had you asked if I found my answers?"

"We'd met… Our viewpoints were different…but we'd met. And…I'd lived here…when he and a village girl…eloped."

Neither travelers fully processed the information in the midst of what was happening. Strength gave out in Inuyama's limbs; he crumpled on his side, rolling over to find rest in the puddle of thickening scarlet. They both leaned over him. "I've heard rumors… Near Hiroshima, there is a new dojo…retaining a strong resemblance to the lost Mujushin kenjutsu style." Every second, the inhales grew more labored. "Mariya Enshirou was the last known teacher… But… I knew Jin had the capabilities of being the heir. I wished to go there…to challenge…the only samurai I couldn't beat…"

_Near Hiroshima_. Fuu and Mugen looked up, gazes meeting in mutual understanding.

"I guess…that is…too late." Barely could the assassin speak, each phrase giving way to a pause and cough. More saliva mixing with more blood.

"You would'a won." Mugen failed to tell if he really was lying or not… "Hell, ya almost killed me."

This time, Inuyama turned his head to the woman whose hands were smeared in ruby stains. An honest smile fell upon his lips. "I never thought I'd see the day…where I'd lose to a lady."

"I, I'm so sorry."

"It is…liberating…to finally be caught off guard… I have never fought anyone unless it was…for my own personal satisfaction… _You_…have something a mercenary like me…couldn't obtain. Never regret."

At the top of the hill below the approaching squall of purple-black, all three knew this samurai's life went beyond the point of saving. Ever since this heartless career—that of which allowed no emotion—began, it'd been that way; he'd signed a contract with blade and blood rather than quill and ink. Such was the fate of an assassin.

In his final request, Inuyama grabbed hold of Mugen's ringed wrist, pitch faltering into a barely distinguishable choke. "_Please_…put me…out of…my misery…"

He nodded, stood, and retrieved the sword Fuu dropped. Before the steel edge drove into the samurai's chest, Inuyama's eyes closed with his last words in mind…

'_Perhaps I will be born anew…as a firefly. And in some distant summer night, my glow will call out to you again. Jin.'_

While the sunset began to slip behind the mountain peaks in the west, the sky's somber grey purple…altered ominously into the same tint as blood. Always, more blood.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _OOC?! I know it's crazy to think Fuu would hurt someone…but for Mugen and Jin? I decided she would…considering that she almost gave her life to save Mugen from Sara before. Next is the closure to the village set. How will Mugen feel about Fuu hurting someone for him? What about Obaasan?_

_I wanted to give a conclusion for Inuyama who I think developed an obsession for Jin. He lived in this village so his assassin life would be hidden (moving for good when one of his targets turned out to be the ronin in the same town). He planned to meet Jin afterwards at a rumored dojo. I thought it would be a cruel irony that he was homosexual for the love of masculine strength and devotion to kenjutsu. And yet, he got taken down by a woman._

**Kabocha-san- **roughly can be translated to "Mr. Pumpkin". In the ending credits, little Fuu is shown hiding under blankets with an orange, striped cat. I named her cat that too, since Momo is a derivative of "momonga" which means flying squirrel, but "momo" by itself means "peach". Fuu seems the type to name her pets after food, lol.

**Mumei**- "no name", the hermit ronin wished to be called that.

Me: It seems Inuyama had the hots for you… His only regret in life was not being able to see you again.

Jin: Hmm…

Me: But he_ did_ see your wang in Episode 2 when you stood up in the hot spring… He must've been pretty impressed if he was still interested all that time.

Jin: *eyebrow twitches*

Me: Pretty sketchy when you cross dressed that one time too…

Jin: …That…That was only used as a disguise.

Me: No wonder Mugen told Fuu "I'm pretty sure that makes him queer".

Jin: He…said that behind my back?

Me: Yup. In Episode 11.

Jin: *unsheathes katana and runs off*

Me: Hey! JIN! They're supposed to look for YOU! Not the other way around!

Shino: Umm…If it helps…I can verify that he is straight.

Me: Oh! Could you please describe why in exquisite detail?

Shino: Uh… *blushes and quietly tiptoes away*.

_Please review if you enjoyed this crazy frickin' chapter! Tell me what your opinions are! …Hopefully I can post soon, even though my senior year of Hell (High) School is in session! AHHHHH MOU! _

_**End of Chapter 25**_


	28. Chapter 26 Maternal Mirror

_**Chapter 26 Maternal Mirror**_

{Original Title: Kindred Ties}

[A/N]: _Tanjoubi Omedatou! (to myself) I turned seventeen on October 1__st, 2014__ (…yay…) and since Fuu is seventeen in this fanfiction, I attended the Buffalo Comic Con on October 5__th__ as Fuu once more :3 Some pictures of me are on my tumblr…somewhere. It's __**ryukyuan-sunflower **__if you're interested to see what my nerdy self looks like in cosplay…or I could provide a link._

**Anime Reference**- Remember Fuu's charms on her pink tanto? So there's the dice, the netsuke Christian skull…and then…do you remember what else?

_To __**guest reviewer**__, Thank youuuu :3 I'm sorry the wait was so long for another chappie!_

_To __**guest reviewer who reviewed twice**__, XD Much appreciated! Yeah…sometimes I feel like I need a break from the writing, but all the inspiration keeps me crawling back. Also, Mugen and Fuu fighting Inuyama does mirror Mukuro being killed by Jin. Which is funny because I had the Mukuro flashback recently. Good observation! And OMG! Bundai, Mister Literary Master: the one who beat the words into Mugen's skull…literally! XD I would love to bring him back in the future while still incorporating the planned story… I think I have an idea, thanks to you, though it will be a long while from now:3 And if you have any ideas let me know!_

_To __**guest reviewer **__**Fanfic Addict**__, *sniff* XD This comment made ME cry, laugh and gasp all at once. I'm so happy to provide you with the same feeling as a cup of coffee! In the same way, you've given me my chocolate fix X3 I_ _sincerely thank you! It is I who has been honored to have such wonderful reviewers!_

_Pretty to the point, too much dialogue...and terribly revised. _

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. The characters are much too brilliant to be invented by me! My original characters could never compare!

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 26 Maternal Mirror<strong>_

The disillusioned girl, who knelt there for a time, hadn't departed from the corpse's side. Both Fuu and Inuyama's appearances paled into an unhealthy ash tone.

Mugen gripped the brass ridges of the broadsword until pain returned to the injury there. Along with the back of his hand, the strap wrapped around the hilt had been slashed, the Shinto omamori coming loose as a result and the magatama bead stolen as a makeshift birthday present must've fallen somewhere... So, while the girl remained in that _atypical_ trance-like state, the swordsman sifted through more fallen snow until the tiniest jade shard entered into sight. It was stuffed into a pocket.

He kept his back to her. When Fuu finally managed to stand upright on two legs that even then were unstable, a brutal harshness from the man's lips almost caused another collapse in the knees…"Why did you do it." the demand for an answer…dark.

Vision and mind clouded into a disoriented mess; it was a wonder if she'd even heard. Her posture weakened somewhat; another wrong thing said, she threatened to crumple back to the ground right beside the remains of the samurai that would eventually commence its progression to rigor mortis. "You almost died." said Fuu with a calmness concealing unbearable sorrows.

With furious indignation, Mugen twisted back around and stomped to the cowering female, "And you_ could've_ by gettin' involved like that! I didn't want ya to hafta do something like that,_ ever_!"

"I did what you would've done for me and Jin a-and-"

"ME AND YOU AREN'T THE FUCKING SAME! You were NEVER supposed to be the one to get your frickin' hands dirty!"

Despite cringing under the austerity, the woman didn't feel an ounce of fear—but she _did_ feel the barbed jab of what could only be considered the aftermath of heartache…_and a whole lot of it…_ "I didn't _want_ to! I never wanted to hurt someone this way!" she exclaimed.

How she _wished_ he could understand: that seeing his body fall motionless would have probably killed her too. Already, Fuu witnessed more death than most people handled in a healthy manner.

Grief embedded itself far into the depths of her bosom, and she _reviled_ the feeling!

"But…I just _can't _stand the thought of you dying on me, Mugen!"

Narrowed prior, his sharp glare slowly opened wide in puzzlement that denied understanding the statement. Fists that had unknowingly balled…began to loosen. As did his set jaw.

It was his entire fucking fault then…he'd already been well aware; foolish actions that used to be committed without consideration…now faced consequence. _His_ foul presence forced the seventeen year old to demolish her preservation of innocence. …Day by day, Fuu would become more like him: a broken shell with a corrupted core…

As much as Mugen exhibited this scorn at the trembling girl in front of him…all it really amounted to was _disgust_ with himself.

Fuu too _hated _what she's done… Even so, she didn't aspire to regret this, because it was either Inuyama or Mugen. In _any _scenario it'd become beyond obvious who she'd always pick to live another day…to _fight _another time.

"He wouldn't have stopped… I could tell just by looking at Inuyama. When he started fighting, he wouldn't _stop_… It wouldn't have been like it was with…with Sara. Back then, when I got in the way, there could've been a chance that she spared you…for me. Even though I wasn't sure, it had been a chance." The gusts bedecked in flakes of white must have blown those words from her tentative lips. After the incident with the shogunate assassin two years ago, they_ never_ spoke of what happened in those elegiac nights. Sara's awful betrayal and her eventual termination were topics the whole trio always hesitated to revisit.

Just like then, there were two lives to choose from: Mugen's...and also her own.

His burning gaze diverted, attempting with failure to focus on the oceanic waves from the flat cliff top as an alternative to avoid…_that_ subject. In a blast of air thick with the scent of salt, tufts of raven hair shrouded an expression… Surely that expression held lament.

"_Don't_. Don't talk about that."

_Both times…Fuu jumped into the fray without any contemplation…_

"I know that…it _wasn't_ a good time for us. But I'm just letting you know that I'm not going to stand and watch you die, even if it means that I'll get hurt or if I hurt another. So-"

He cut her confession short. "Then you shouldn't travel with me anymore."

'_No. He doesn't…he can't mean that!' _

Their thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched yelp causing them to whip their heads to the sound. A wicker basket filled with over a dozen trout tumbled and rolled down the hill, as a village woman once carrying it screamed shrill and high. Immediately, the peasant's scrutiny picked up on the corpse of Inuyama, and then the unnatural liquid—the shade of the sunset—seeping out of the hut… Lastly, the housewife...saw the blood tainted blade held by the lawless killer that _everyone_ in town kept their suspicious on.

The woman aimed a shivering finger. "M-Murderer!"

"No wait! This ain't what it looks li-"

Before Mugen and Fuu could explain, the terrified lady frantically sprinted off, misinterpreted accusations bellowed for all to hear. "SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE! THE CRIMINAL! THE CRIMINAL KILLED THE TWO SAMURAI!"

After cussing and returning the claymore to its scabbard, Mugen planned to venture back towards the small hut Obaasan allowed to be their momentary shelter. Upon those many shelves, enough food to last a year laid bare for any to pillage… "I'm gonna pack some shit up from the storehouse and then I'm leaving 'fore they give word to the authorities."

"You're stealing?!"

"I gotta survive, don't I?! 'Sides, if they're gonna accuse me of the murder of that other samurai…and then attacking someone who I thought killed Jin, then it's justifiable."

"No, you can't do that!" In the midst of all the hell…still she had a sense of _right and wrong._ "Maybe I can work something out! Obaasan said if I wanted to stay-"

"Think, girl! I _CAN'T_ stay! …But you, you just might be able to. We never knew if we'd find Four-Eyes anyway. Travelin' with me is…just gonna put you in more and more danger."

"But, but we've been through so much as it is! So much danger already… I…We-"

"Is that what you want? To travel not knowin' if we'll be alive to last another day? …You really wanna be like _me_?"

She wasn't conscious of how badly her petite body shook. Seeing her there, oh so ready to break, her ex-bodyguard didn't desire to comprehend what that awful ripple winding and coiling its way in his guts _was_… More and more, it knotted there and began to grow hotter...

It'd be for the best...if the man left without company to follow.

"I-"

As she'd reached a single hand out for an unsaid purpose—maybe to hold him there for a moment with what little strength existed—he'd turned his back on the brunette for the second time. "It's always been your decision. And you better decide fast."

Not a moment given for Fuu to protest, the man raced back down the gravel stricken path. All she heard was the clanking of plated clogs hitting stone after stone, wind, and the ocean tides that grew more violent each minute when she remained there._ Alone._ _Unsure. And terrified. _No more time remained for the wandering pair. Regardless of this horrifying truth, Fuu couldn't accept that the last grain of sand in their broken hourglass threatened to fall.

* * *

><p>The shelves were scoured recklessly by the scruffy, wild haired beast. Spices, dried meat, pickled vegetables, a bed roll, <em>anything <em>two hasty paws could filch for got stuffed blindly into a cloth sack. He hoisted the hefty bag onto his back, not caring what or how many of whatever filled up the knapsack, just that something _must be taken_. Courtesy to the allegations probably being said. Those clueless fishermen deserved what they got.

_...Fuu hadn't followed…_

'_Good.' _Mugen thought as he shook away the slight…disappointment? He couldn't even think right when turning to leave…

An individual of whom possessed a badly stooped back waited outside the food storehouse. Had to hand it to her, the nasty hag did a pretty good job at sneaking up on people; he hadn't heard any straw zori creeping behind. And yet there Obaasan stood in unwavering certitude, like an ancient, noble empress…except dressed up in rags.

She accusingly waggled a finger at the turquoise loops shackling Mugen's wrists and ankles. "A thief_ and_ a murderer. I'd expected as much from you as soon as you entered our village."

"You gonna try to stop me? You're a little old for that, don't 'cha think?"

Forever holding furious eyes, Obaasan scoffed back, "I am powerless against you, but _you_ are powerless to the law. Already, I've sent a villager on horseback to a guard post located four miles in the west… In a few hours, they'll be aware of your location."

'_Shit_'. "For someone who hates samurai…you sure are usin' 'em for your benefit." If soldiers came in from Matsusaka…they might… "You're puttin' the girl through the ringer just as much as me by sending for those damn guards!"

"That is why it would be best if you left Fuu here."

Those words were the same uncertainties plaguing long, cold nights...and something he thought to finally act upon earlier, had the day not diverged onto a rather strange course.

"She cares about you greatly, but…a demon like you can never be good for her. You will get her _killed_."

"…You think it's that simple." the ex-convict reproached.

"It is. Leave her life, and she'll be out of whatever danger you've exposed her too."

The smoldering fire in the pit of the beast's belly…must've slithered up to his head that relied heavily on primal thinking. Mugen punched the rotten door with the back of his fist…instantly recoiling from the previous injury… A large indent remained in the warped door that squealed on its hinges. The cut reopened, Obaasan realizing it must be from the altercation with one of the samurai.

"_I'm_ the one who saved her! _I _protected her! ME. Without me, she would'a been dead a long time ago!"

Not even then...would Obaasan stand down. For that, Mugen couldn't help giving up the tiniest morsel of respect, though that stayed unsaid; she in some peculiar way that Mugen failed to rightly place...reminded him well of Fuu's spirit, whose pure resoluteness rivaled the strongest of warriors."Then you cannot deny that her involvement with _your_ crimes has also almost cost her very life."

"…Tch."

Too damn true.

"_Leave_." That one command repeated. "Allow her to let go of you, to live without the nightmares of _your_ past haunting _her_ steps. She deserves that much."

All the weeks they'd spent here, in such a quiet town where dangers and worry eluded the minds of the dreamy, delusional peasants, the cocky vagrant and the domineering old lady never _looked_ eyes to eye. Even so, one factor existed that each individual—no matter how immensely different—held equal understanding on. They wanted Fuu safe.

Mugen began to believe she was right; the waitress in danger was contingent to the lifestyle he stuck to, like faith in a religion; a lifestyle where violence would never be devoid from the equation. If he left quickly enough, perhaps the government would pursue _him_ rather than stop into the Ise settlement at all.

The ryukyuan slung the stolen provisions over his back and skulked past Obaasan who made no further effort to impede his departure.

This time…the old woman beat him.

"She does deserve that…doesn't she."

* * *

><p>Inuyama's face was covered by a spare handkerchief, as was the nameless hermit's. Folding her hands in front of her chest, she prayed silently for the two lost souls...with a chant the sunflower samurai had taught her as a child... She wondered if samurai too could be forgiven and saved by a foreign God. And she honestly didn't know if she believed He existed or not... Looking between the two bodies…Fuu, with little strength not already exhausted, forcefully blinked away tears… For now, she intended to remain strong…and confront Obaasan directly. First, she cleaned off the unsightly blood from her hands as best as could be done with snow.<p>

Then she left that windswept hill plagued by death, traversing back to the village curtained by twilight.

It had grown unnaturally quiet. Eerily so…much like an abandoned ghost town. No noise existed besides the dreary, displaced hum of the shoreline tides...

All the doors in the village were closed up tight and not a single village dweller could be spotted on the lane, or down by the bay even though they usually crowded and conversed, visiting the teahouse for dumplings and sake to celebrate a hard day's work in the evening's. ...Not one face even dared to peak from the latticed windows. No one in visible sight…except for the hunched figure that stood in front the teahouse.

Broomstick in hand, Obaasan already waited outside. She swept some stray grime from the teahouse into the dirt filled lane in a hurried fuss, springing forth a rolling puff of dusty sand. …Each step forward felt heavier to take. Arriving nonetheless, Fuu hesitantly halted in front of the building of her recent employment.

Her throat went dry. How could she say what transpired… How could she say that Inuyama had been injured by her hands?

Instead, Fuu ventured into asking, "Where is Mugen?"

The old lady continued sweeping, not bothering to raise her white haired head. "He already left without you."

When he'd specified it'd be better if she'd not come along, she hadn't believed it to be true; always he returned upon leaving. _Always._ No matter how today's events turned out, she didn't believe this would spark the initiative to leave! Unless…he'd been planning to…

"No! Mugen _wouldn't_ just go without me!"

"He _has_. And there will guards from the nearby post outside of Matsusaka that will find him." asserted the woman.

The girl vigorously shook her to stop the woman's claim that could only be some cruel lie...right? "You don't understand! Mugen didn't-"

"Before he arrived, there was no violence! We gave him food, shelter and what does he do?! Instigated a samurai who wanted to live in peace and killed another who'd grown up here! He murdered them!"

Even if it meant facing a level of judgment for such unspeakable actions, Fuu could not back down without admitting the full truth. "He didn't kill that samurai! And Inuyama had-"

The old woman would not allow for the alibi to be spoken. "Stop _defending him_, Fuu-chan! We have a witness! With tattoos like that, we are well aware of what kind of a man he is! He isn't even mainland Japanese! That look…it was the same look of the wakou pirates who'd raided this village and murdered my husband." Over the woman's straw covered shoulders, the furls of the ocean increased their activity. However, the foamy sea, flooding and receding …roared less harshly than the elder's abhorrence. "He is one of them…isn't he."

"He _was_ one. And he was also my bodyguard."

More wrinkles concaved in the old lady's forehead, "People like him do not change! He has no sense of guilt, no morality! Men like him should be executed before their actions will cost the lives of the innocent!"

That ended it; Mugen's traveling companion refused to listen to another syllable riddled in such malice. Of course the woman failed to understand. Her views on people could never be erased! If she had enough scorn to denounce her own daughter, Fuu stood with even less a chance... She needed to go. By leaving now, maybe she'd be able to catch up...

"Where are you going?! Fuu!"

"I'm leaving too then. I'm just a traveler on the road searching for an old friend. That's all." the younger muttered ruefully.

"With_ HIM_?!"

"_Without_ him, I would have never found my father two years ago. Without him…I wouldn't still be alive." All those times it never ended up being some knight or hero…just _him_ who'd went through life and limb to keep her safe… In a similar way as Obaasan's daughter, Fuu related to running off, knowing what the consequences amounted to even if it meant spending another day by his side. "He means _so_ _much_ to me… You couldn't even begin to understand."

"You may not see it, but I _can_. That man is a danger to you! I care about you, Fuu. Like my own kin… Can't you comprehend that?!"

"I can't stay. I just can't."

With that, Fuu swerved back around, and faced the west, down the main path Mugen most likely had tread over earlier… Already, the road that lay ahead had filled up with more ice than before, piling fast in snow too since Inuyama's death. No matter. She must follow him. She must-

"If you leave with that bastard Kasumi Seizou, do not think of EVER COMING BACK!"

Her heart jolted.

Ceased steps soon followed.

"…O-oh…" Obaasan's eyes glimmered like the shards of a violently shattered mirror… Instantly, she'd put a palm to her mouth, _to lid_ the phrase that escaped… "Oh dear…Oh dear… I d-did not mean to say that name. It just came out…"

A specific moment from a distant time had just been relived; _a time two decades ago…_

Why had she accidentally said _that _name? Kasumi Seizou; the sunflower samurai, how did she even know that name?! _Why?_

Only by a few inches, Fuu looked back, with surprise—and _fear_—to the teahouse woman that had only been known as "Obaasan" all these weeks. "Did you just say…Kasumi Seizou?"

"You are far too much like her, Fuu-chan; too much like my daughter. This brings back such bitter memories I did not wish to return to… I just…_lost _myself amidst the yelling, that I almost thought I was reliving the past again and you were my little Kagami…running off with her husband."

_Kagami. _

Fuu choked.

She turned around completely, but stood inclined to be rooted there, to not_ dare_ take a step closer. Inuyama…had said something earlier…hadn't he…about Kasumi Seizou and a village girl. Everything made sense… Clarity became a curse. Pieces of what had once been harmless parallels…formed recollections that inevitably creating a familiar puzzle: _her own life._

The golden flowers given to Obaasan's daughter that used to sit on the windowsill—that Fuu knew quite well, plants the Dutch brought from a land far west—had long since withered into untraceable scents.

The daughter's pet cat—that used to tear apart rope and cloth and sleep beneath sewn quilts—had long since passed by the time Fuu hit seven years.

The samurai who talked little of his past—a rebel, a wanderer—had long since abandoned Fuu's life.

The pacifist's daughter… She once was a woman who eloped out of blind love. _Kagami, dressed in a forest green garb, became a mother one day…waiting sadly on porch steps and stared hard into mirrors that glazed over in blinding beams of sunlight._ She'd long since been dead.

She looked past the wrinkles, the scowl, the usually concealed regret that now lay revealed for only Fuu… Underneath that opaque coat on her dying gaze, the seventeen year old saw for a brief flash…a glimpse of the youthfulness that must have once existed in the old woman. Obaasan probably appeared very beautiful in her early life. In the past, her eyes a deep coffee tinge…must've not been much different from Fuu's mother's…

"This pains me to witness this all again. I would have enjoyed your company had you decided to stay. Even so, I can see how _blindly _attached you are. But if you leave with that Mugen fellow,"

Finally, the psychological glue on her soles came undone, and Fuu moved towards the woman, practically tripping forward. "You're my-"

"Please…do not ever return."

…It stopped her…that _unquestionable_ declaration. It stopped her so fast that she'd almost fallen. Fuu's lips gave in to a slight quiver.

_Her mother must have felt the same_. And she must be such a fool…just like her mother, endeavoring to run after an unstable wanderer in a February night…out of some pathetic sentiment.

Feet hesitant, heart bewildered in its pounding palpitations, Fuu by then found herself back stepping from the front of the restaurant slowly. When she finally turned her back to the woman, the threat of crying contained, all that managed to be breathed out of her shaking mouth had been...

"I'm sorry…Obaasan."

After that, the sunflower samurai's daughter retreated from the town street, and kept a pace sound and secure… For if she didn't, maybe she would've ran back to Obaasan and admitted the truth of all of which the woman didn't know.

She couldn't. Not yet at least.

Through that whole run, the traveler denied giving in to the luxury of crying.

Fuu decided that one day, _one day _what her mother failed to do would be done. One day Kagami and Seizou's lonely daughter planned to return to that place, the nameless settlement beside the shoreline…and explain to the teahouse owner there…the long story about finding an elusive scent of sunflowers, about how…her mother died from an ailment that could've been cured with an amount of money they didn't have…

_Someday_. But there were others who were family too, and she had to find them.

For right now…she just had to walk away from _Obaasan_; whose deep brown irises—brimming with self-afflicted aching—reflected those of her mother's…_and herself._

The girl darted up the hill, fleeing into a line of shrubbery that overlooked the sobbing beaches below...not knowing that Obaasan had watched the bright hue of cherry pink fade into black trees below the crimson skies. Until...she could be seen no more.

* * *

><p><em>Damn it all to hell,<em> Mugen couldn't decide.

The heavy rucksack got shrugged off the man's shoulders in the middle of the thoroughfare leading back to the main city of the Ise Province. Why he'd been heading that way, no clue...maybe to blow off some steam by mindlessly killing whoever threatened to arrest him on the way there...

After a short while...the urge to press forward was replaced by one that begged to rotate its course...

He decided to wait _right_ there… Maybe she went as far as to chase after him, and he assured himself that she'd be lost even on a main road if he didn't find her first and-

Some obscene swear rebounded through the forest. He started doing it again: making another of many excuses to go back when there didn't exist a real reason to do so!

Surely, she'd stay in the village and be content and unconcerned over his wandering soul. None would find her in a backwater town, especially if he led the government off her trail by drawing more attention in distant places. And if she stayed by such an _evil_ sinner's side for any longer…it'd keep on ruining her. It could even _kill_ her! She'd almost died for him in the past…after all.

Now…

She'd killed to _save_ him; to save a pathetic, ex-criminal with nothing to his name, _nothing_ to leave behind, except memories…and two friends. This breached one too many limits. While he'd no doubt do—and _had_ done—the same things for the girl…as part of what had once been the contract between mercenary and damsel...the broad was never meant to do the same.

But if she still wanted to find Jin…then shouldn't he-

_'No.'_

He pulled out the magatama shoved into his shorts' pocket, clenching the crescent-like shape hard into his injured fist. This stupid trinket was the first time _anyone ever_ cared enough to give the ryukyuan a gift. Seldom did Mugen own anything, besides of course the clothes off his back…and his sword...which both travelers knew his old tsurugi had been given up for Fuu before...

This turquoise bead, so small, and completely impractical…turned into something valuable, treasured; something Mugen—as totally un-sentimental as he considered himself—didn't want to _ever_ lose. Disregarding the broken strap, he attempted to wrap it around the sword handle again, just like Fuu'd done back on the first day of winter in Hikone. When he deemed the shabby knot tied sufficiently enough, he picked up the bag of supplies from the ground again, re-slinging it over a shoulder.

Time to go, to leave for good.

...Still, his body refused to budge from its place.

Only a no sex appeal, flat chested broad with a _God awful_ annoying voice...kept an unseen hold on the ex-criminal more than anything else did! _Even more than the crow men—death—who somehow got scared off today… _All this time later, after all the shit they'd been through, Mugen fully grasped this truth…

'_FUCK. Get you frickin' shit together man. She's better off without me in her life and-'_

Right at that thought, not a second sooner or later…his ears caught the sound from far off down the road, distant…but familiar. So damn familiar, and annoying as always... "Mugen!" the voice called persistently as a kimono clad figure tripped along the way. "WAIT! I'm going with you!" If there were anything that he knew with certainty…it must be that he was contented to hear the girl, even when he knew he shouldn't have been. This seemed…_right_…when logicality screamed their objections.

Eventually, she caught up. Hands balancing upon erratic knees, the breathless woman barely panted out the words, "You...you waited…for me?"

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't followin'. I told you, it ain't a good idea if you do. If you got second thoughts about this-"

"I made up my mind days ago, Mugen. I _want _to go with you." she interrupted. "Besides, who else would take care of you if I'm not around?"

"I've taken care a' myself just_ fine_."

"Let me see your injuries then." She ushered him over to a tree off the rural road, and sat him down against the protruding trunk's base. Without any disagreement between the hopeless pair who would soon be pursued by government officials, he'd complied. If anything, they needed a break from the perils of today's events…from the expenditure of energy…from pretty much _everything._

A straight line shredded the red haori sleeve. The frowning Fuu knelt just beside Mugen, rolling up to the torn fabric—something she planned to sew in the future—on the man's bicep to properly access the wound beneath. The flow of blood didn't fully clot.

Unlike when he'd hurt his finger on the bow and pulled away, the fighter allowed these wounds to be better examined. "Look at this…" Cotton-like fingertips outlined the lacerated skin even when red dribbled out. "You could've lost it out there. Your hand too…" At the touch, Mugen winced. "Sorry…" she took greater care in cleaning the injuries with a spare rag for washing down tables.

Dutifully, Fuu began salvaging through her sleeves for spare bandages that may have slipped into an inverted pocket. Although they did not pain him, the gentle strokes of her continued ministrations made the vagabond unwillingly grow restless by each and every little innocent touch. "The cuts are pretty deep. If you hadn't bandaged them, they could've got infected." With another moping stare, she wrapped and tightened layers upon layers of gauze.

Every time she severed the bandage with the help of her trusty pink tanto, he let free another caged exhale. "Well," his bushy head inclined against the bark of the dying oak. "That's what you're here for right?"

Chocolate orbs darted to those that held mixed emotion, full on questioning he who had no real explanation to give. Their stares met, conflicting as they always did. Maybe though, through the briefest of moments…they traded sympathies. Eventually Fuu reverted back to the task, wrapping up the back of his hand while getting wrapped up in a parade of more unanswerable issues.

"...It's my fault what happened." he started. "I fuckin' instigated it, wanted to kill the guy..."

"You thought Jin was killed by that man. Only a true friend would react the way you did." Up until this point, the death of Inuyama was blocked out with all the will a single human mind could be capable of handling. She'd _hurt _someone…aided in their demise. That put such a heavy pressure laden with guilt. Harshly enough that it must have bled, Fuu bit down on the inside of her cheek and mentally slapped away that foreboding sensation.

All that time, she held back the tears…

Alas, a young woman can only hold back from emotion for so long before breaking. The smallest evidence of the woman's woe didn't go unnoticed when the sound of a small snivel surfaced, refuting repeated attempts to keep it locked away. Her eyes began to prickle up to the point of painfulness.

Mugen caught on quickly to the tears beginning their descent.

"…Are you cryin'?"

Fuu stubbornly shook her head, lowering her face to the job of securing more wrappings, chestnut strands loose from the bun and ponytail concealing much. He'd pulled his palm away.

Then suddenly…she felt the gauze ghosting over the supple contour of her left cheek…and then callous that contrasted it on the right one. The swordsman's hands wrapped around her face...and she flinched when he squeezed. But, she was sure it was Mugen's own way of performing what was intended to be a soft gesture. Coaxing her face upwards, he forced her to look back.

"You're _cryin' _girlie." More saltwater affirmed these suspicions.

* * *

><p><em>"Why are you cryin'?" he says in a tone that sounds like he deems her fit to be put into a mental ward..<em>

_She...she saw something in the marketplace that reminds her of the past again—a mother and daughter shopping and discussing something as simple as earrings. Just like that, the waterworks start... But Mugen can't know that! "Wh-why would I be crying?" she denies his accusation, wiping away the stupid little droplets that sneakily form..._

_Then all of a sudden, he's _right there_...standing much too close for personal comfort. Fuu doesn't have time to register when he firmly grips her cheeks. __"Eh?"_

_"Who made you cry?" commands the mercenary in red._

_It kind of hurts how constricted his grip becomes, and how it intensifies as she fails to provide an answer. "Mugen?"_

_"If he's still here...I'll make _him_ cry!"_

__There's a monstrously mischievous grin plastered on him, and it's obvious he's out for trouble, maybe to spill some blood for the kicks... Already, she knows he's quite unstable in that department. But for once, with him staring down with that promise... _For once...he doesn't seem so irresponsible... For once, she wishes to share more, to say why...to be closer when she already lost everyone before...___

* * *

><p>Looking into the misted irises… Mugen<em> wished<em> he could've done something besides sit there like a wimp being nursed upon…when it wasn't _him_ who needed to be tended to. Regrettably, the idea of comfort eluded an ex-pirate's understanding. Ask him to slice a man's neck; easy… But to prevent the sorrows of a woman? That would be difficult to accomplish.

She didn't even know what the point in crying _was _anymore…even though there were a number of reasons to do so. Like so many other times prior, Fuu came close to losing Mugen… If perchance, that specific moment could be relived, Fuu realized that nothing would've been done differently.

Irony that Obaasan hated violence; how sickened she'd be to discover what sin her own granddaughter committed. Wouldn't the closed minded crone _laugh_ upon seeing the two fools now; an innocent girl who'd killed a man…an ex-criminal who felt something as humane as guilt.

'_Obaasan…'_

More reasons to cry.

"Somethin' else bothering you?"

She nodded.

Much to the girl's bafflement, the pad of Mugen's thumb—coarse as sandpaper, yet somehow radiated warmth—brushed away a stray stream of saltwater. "Well spit it out, girlie."

"…Obaasan thought you killed that other samurai who Inuyama assassinated. She didn't believe me. And she'd never believe that I'm the one who'd injured Inuyama first. She banished me from the village since I followed you."

From what Mugen had seen, in the weeks that flew by, the two grew remarkably close…and he'd taken her away from that… While his grasp remained fastened to her dampening cheeks, Fuu retrieved the small cat charm.

It all came crashing down hard. At her side, she also picked up the pink lacquer tanto that was used to cut the bandages into thin, equal strips. Charms of different shapes suspended from the small blade; the string of dice, her netsuke Christian skull and the…

…the dog charm given to Fuu on her fourteenth birthday. Just before…just before her mother passed on.

"Obaasan gave me this…" motioning to the marble cat. Then she showed the marble dog. "And my mother gave me this one."

His scarred eyebrow quirked higher than the other as he observed the two painted animal trinkets. Comprehension arrived quickly on what these related objects surmounted to. The grip on her face hastily lessened until his hands retreated to his sides. Logicality resurfaced; except this time, _it won_.

Fuu stifled another sob, having to cover her mouth to refrain from bawling erratically…and when her voice didn't threaten to be a shaking mess of inexhaustible emotion, only then did the explanation commence, "Do you remember Inuyama told us Kasumi Seizou married a girl from this village? Well…Obaasan accidentally said my father's name when referring to you… And she called me by her daughter's name: Kagami… My mom."

That's all he needed to know.

Realizing the wounds were properly taken care of and _more importantly_ that she must return, Mugen stood, parting the distances of their feet. "Y-ya have to go back! That's your family, girl!"

"She disowned my mother and resented my father! I can't!" she protested.

"That doesn't matter! You can have a life there if me an' Four Eyes weren't holdin' you back from it. That lady's the only blood ya got!" He'd never had _family_… never a _single_ place to return with welcoming arms waiting. As much as he knew about Jin, neither did the exiled dojo prodigy. They were always alone…watching some live, some die on their erratic paths across Japan's endless roads…

Before the fifteen year old entered their lives and wormed her way under their skin, they'd never had real familial bonds. After finding out toward the closure of that first journey that the sunflower samurai was none other than the waitress's father, it created an even stronger initiative to find the man.

Kasumi Seizou once was the only relative Fuu had left. But…her grandmother…

She too stood, dropping her glossy gaze to the fissure of empty space between where they stood. "No. I have you and Jin._ That's_ what matters. …You two are the closest I've ever been to anyone after my mother died. And the shogunate's after me right now, remember? They'll find me if I stay in one place this soon."

Mugen cursed. The Matsusaka guards were scheduled to return from being called upon by the town…and they'd be running for who knows how long, until trouble managed to delude. It wouldn't be safe…Never had been before. Nonetheless, when seeing unbending determination in her eyes that forced back the progression of tears, he realized her mind would be unable to be swayed, no matter the cost.

"Someday I might come back. But for now…I'd like to go with you. Please, can we just leave this place?"

The silenced wanderers could do little else besides press on as light faded away, past the trees and mountains…until the stars were enveloped by murky blue. And so forth…that's exactly what they did.

The male took the lead, deciding they'd stay off the roads and slink through the underbrush to avoid any samurai that may appear—at least until they found some shelter for the long night that promised to grow progressively more frigid. If fate would be fair…there'd be some place that would suffice enough for sleep. The whole time, the girl stumbled behind. _Somewhere during that walk,_ _Fuu discovered that she'd never even asked her own grandmother for her real name…_

Peeping hesitantly over his shoulder after hearing another soft sob, he realized that again…Fuu began to cry.

Mugen also realized, grudgingly, that he couldn't do _anything_ to console her.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]:_ Mugen's...really...soft...and squishy in this one..._

_I decided there will be ONE more chapter that relates to this set, mostly revolving around Fuu and Mugen's thoughts about Inuyama' death. It'll be pretty short. But expect it to be coming soon ^^ I'd been writing it…and then I just cut it off and have to do some more touch ups. _

_Pretty much everyone figured Obaasan was Fuu's grandmother early. Loved all your thoughts on that! Fuu really meant "Obaasan" as "grandmother" for the last time, but everyone called her that so she had no idea. _

_Thank you to _**AdaraLove**_, one of my wonderful reviewers who gave me personal insight and a set foundation for IF Fuu would hurt someone to protect Mugen and how she would feel about doing so, and ideas on how Mugen would take it back before I posted the last chapter. Much appreciated ^^ There will more thoughts on this in the next._

**Kagami-** the female name means "mirror". In the Shiki no Uta ending credits, little Fuu is shown looking into a mirror with her mother. Also, Fuu's reliving the same treatment that her mother got by being banished; mirroring it.

_My headcanon is that Kasumi Seizou fell in love with a peasant girl and didn't care about social status (since he would become a cryptic Christian and a rebel anyway). He'd been more shunned than ever and lost respect and chances at wealth. After leaving, Kasumi Seizou forced his wife to renounce his last name so there wouldn't be any connection the government would find. Then, they became a peasant family again… Fuu's mother eventually grew ill. Fuu couldn't get a high paying job at such a young age and the medicine was too expensive._

_Flashback was from the manga btw. SO MUGEN TOTALLY ALREADY GRABBED HER CHEEKS!_

Jin: It appears Fuu may be growing stronger…

Me: Wait…how do you even know what's going on with Mugen and Fuu halfway across Japan?

Jin: Hmm…

Me: …Jin…what's that on the table? *uncovers a round object from under a cloth*

Shino: Isn't that a crystal ball?

Me: You can see what's happening with them?! You're a wizard?!

Jin: …You're presumptions are incorrect. I'm not a-

Me: You're a wizard Jinny…

Jin: Wait, I'm not-

Shino: Let's call him Jinny Potter from now on!

Jinny Potter: *eyebrow twitches*

_Review for a late birthday present maybe? Every year, I always manage to miss posting a chapter on my birthday…_

_**End of Chapter 26**_


	29. Chapter 27 Sins and Sorrows

_**Chapter 27 Sins and Sorrows**_

{Original Title:Something of Which to Meditate On}

[A/N]: _Tadaima! I had more computer issues, but luckily they're resolved…for now… So I've been juggling Final Fantasy, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear and Dragon's Dogma instead. I've also kind of fell into a weird state of mind after experiencing…events in two of my fandoms, both The Walking Dead and then Final Fantasy XIII-2. Deth and Soel forever. It threw off my writing for a while. XP _

To **guest reviewer Champloo Fan**, YAY! Thanks! I do hope that the angst I provide hasn't been boring. I try to balance both angst and fluff to provide multiple facets to their developing relationship.

To **guest reviewer that accidentally reviewed twice**, I love that you love this fanfiction! Arigatou! I used to worry that it was developing too slowly. But the more I write, the more I've come to realize they have outside problems as well as personal struggles that need to be addressed before they can fully devote themselves to each other. Mugen especially has shut himself off from love since he's never felt such a thing before. And Fuu is trying to open him up to the kind side he really has. But it's hard, and I think it makes Fuu begin to doubt herself and feel helpless. The anime had a representation that Jin ad Mugen ran from their pasts and Fuu meanwhile chased hers. As for my fanfic, the journey represents that they can't run from each other or the uncertainty of the _future_. And from what I've seen, a lot of relationships that develop too fast end in failure. I think the reason for this is people haven't discovered themselves and are trying to fill that void by "loving another". I feel like a sense of intimacy and full understanding should develop before complete romance. A slow but sure relationship is better than a fast and crumbling one, right? ^.^

To **guest reviewer lexy**, I am seriously so sorry about my updates. It must be disappointing to want to know what happens next and then be stuck waiting for months. I wish I had unlimited time to just write nonstop. I appreciate your patience ^^ When I think of all the wonderful things you people write, it makes me feel worse about my horrific update times. DX

_This can be treated as a standalone chapter but it still connects to the events of the Ise Bay settlement with Inuyama's death and Obaasan's scorn. Pretty short though!_

_This is already chapter 27?! Oh my! Well there's a lot more than 26 like the anime. A LOT more… Bear with me?_

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc. Seriously, I'd be working on Vol. 3 of the manga if I did! WHY ISN'T THERE MORE?!

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 27 Sins and Sorrows<strong>_

_All that blood just keeps on pouring out, staining everything, evermore; even the ugliest or most beautiful of things. No matter what she does—no matter how hard her fitfully shaking hands press on the wound—its course cannot be impeded._

_On the sword, the ground…her hands… Everywhere. Tears merge with the thick, bleeding mess, and soon they conjoin into an unending, unpreventable river. But then…_

_A pint sized squeak._

* * *

><p>Her eyes shot open.<p>

Stirring from the nightmare, the half-asleep Fuu awoke to be face to face with the button nose belonging to none other than an itsy bitsy flying squirrel. The animal continued to peer down expectantly.

"Momo…san…" murmured the bleary headed girl.

Emitting another consoling squeak, the energetic rodent hopped from her chest and scurried off and out of the moss swathed cave. Tired as she was laying in the barely alighted chamber, Fuu didn't possess any urge to get up and follow.

Seemed like tears even crossed over to the dream world… For whom these tears fell for, not even she could say. Perhaps this sorrow had been expressed for everyone: Obaasan left behind in the village whom lost a daughter to sickness: to Mumei the hermit who tried to live life anew in peace…and still died because of it: Inuyama whose blood dispensed from the fatal injury Fuu herself afflicted. Even Mugen too; who followed the path of carnage, who could be the next to die… None escaped the jaws of death no matter how fast or far they ran, and each day its teeth dug deeper into the living.

For the majority of that night, she had been drifting off the line of full consciousness. Finally after they found shelter, crying grew to be an inescapable action after holding it all in so long, as she tried with failure to muffle out the whimpers. The kimono clad girl thought sleep would remedy this physically painful ache that seemed to nest inside her head; it instead dogged her heels, transforming what should have been sweet dreams...into dreadful nightmares.

Now, all she could do was stare at the ceiling; the ceiling comprised of rock… That's right…they'd slept in a cave.

By nightfall the coastal climate had dropped by some degrees, although not enough to provide distress. Without any other place to go, it was Mugen whom had cautiously led them back down towards the beaches, into an alcove more remote than the Ise village. Every sparing moment, he'd looked back to see if samurai followed. Along a stony cliff trail, the exhausted pair marched upon the granite ledges until they reached a hollow cave that overlooked the ocean. It stood at a slightly higher elevation than the beaches, so there needn't be worry of tides flooding their designated sleeping grounds. The winds, crying louder and longer as time passed on, blew out towards the sea rather than inland. Snow had sparsely fallen after their departure. That was something to be _immensely_ grateful for.

Thanks to their fire—forged from striking flint against a block of driftwood—heat lingered within the curious abode they shared. Morning hadn't yet come, revealed by the small measures of light in the cave originating only from the modest campfire.

Upon those same lasting flames, a fair number of fish nicely roasted to a golden crisp; this staggered Fuu when briefly glancing right. _'When did he…go fishing?'_ She reached out to one of the faintly charred morsels, afore stopping to realize…she would be eating alone. Anxious eyes dragged quickly around the entirety of the campsite, where not a remnant of Mugen's company remained. As for rest of the blankets stolen from the village storehouse, all had been draped across her sleeping figure.

"Mugen?" voice coming out louder than normal, the rickety echo bounced around the den walls for several seconds, before dying away into the surrounding sediment.

Not a sound after that.

Immediately Fuu stood and slipped on both zori faster than ever before. Hesitation didn't stand as a factor when she darted from the warming grotto into an unpleasant outside, where the sudden and unexpected change in temperature felt as if she'd ran _straight_ into a barrier of ice. Truth be told though, she shouldn't have been as cold as she felt. ...But being stuck alone in the night made a frosty grip eat at the body—and mind even more.

Straight ahead furled the ocean, as far as could be seen; just behind stood the jutting cliffs watching over the activity of the rolling body of water. Waves upon endless waves reached for these craggy hills, though never making it more than a few feet on the sands below. Nowhere in this scenery indicated the color red. She jogged to the left where the rock face led down to the beaches.

By the time footing stood firm on the sand, the restless girl gasped for air after running. Nearby, the relics of fishnets were scattered about in moldy heaps with barnacles growing along the lines, forever forgotten by their makers.

"…Mu…Mugen? Mugen!" Again and again, the mounting calls carried on…alas with not a single answer. The gushes of the sea worked against her voice, suffocating the shout into a dismal whisper.

"MUGEN!" Soon they grew to an unsteady level, far more desperate than before. Bordering frantic by now, she practically screamed out in the surrounding darkness where little else could be distinguished besides the alighted gems overhead. Only these stars watching from the heavens must have heard the pleas.

Mugen left after all.

Strength perished without warning. Frozen, worn out muscles gave in all on their own, her knees falling hard on the russet sand that stung her fingertips upon the coarse contact. _'No way…He wouldn't…'_

All along, he'd planned to leave…she finally realized a moment too late; that's why he'd tried so hard to avoid her in the village…lingering along the beach or docks whenever she'd come by. _That's why._

Thoughts racing, heart pounding, the lone woman so distraught, probably hadn't even realized that sobs escaped trembling lips. God, Fuu grew so tired of crying when the whole damn world never cared for such sorrows. And Mugen must not have cared much either. She'd never been scared of being alone…but here and now, she felt almost as vulnerable as the time Kasumi Seizou died.

She actually thought he'd stay.

Fuu knew that it was no obligation that bound him, nor did she want it to be. It scared her all the more that his reason for the unexplained departure was to "protect her", leaving so the shogun's samurai would not find them. But she didn't care about the danger! All she wanted was to remain by his side for a little longer…that's all. And…

"Who's makin' ya cry this time?"

Fuu nearly jumped out of her skin.

"You..."

"Hah?"

"YOU TOTAL JERK!" Sand and fragmented shells struck the bastard's chest after being viciously whipped from the infuriated brunette's balled fists, that even afterwards still clenched as if readying to deliver a fast punch.

Some of the grainy particles clung stubbornly to Mugen's haori after an attempt to swipe them off with the back of his bandaged hand didn't work too well. "The hell's your problem, woman?!"

"I thought you left! God, you're such a MORON!"

Tears still fell, and upon this realization, the waitress grudgingly dried them on kimono sleeves …He blinked back nervously. Trailing a few feet behind him, was Momo, who ran and jumped into Fuu's collar as if telling her that he'd been the one who brought the pirate to the lonely shoreline

"I was just checkin' around. Makin' sure nobody followed us… Damn, I thought you woulda' stayed asleep." It after all, playing heavily on his thoughts…that Fuu may have told Obaasan of where they were headed. More officials would find them if that had been so. "So…what did ya say to that old bi-" For one of the few moments in his existence, the rogue quickly corrected the cuss, knowing it would not only offend…but truly hurt Fuu. Most of the time, that wouldn't be such a problem. With what happened…it was something Mugen—as much as an asshole he could be—wouldn't dare say. "What did you say to your …grandma 'fore we left?"

"I told her I was leaving with you. That's all. Not where we were going, not about Jin. Nothing."

"…That's all? You didn't even say that you were her granddaughter?"

"How could I?!" she shouted up at him; the man appeared to have swayed back to avoid the brunt of the shrill squeal. "That would only hurt her more…"

"It wouldn't have if ya stayed."

She still wondered if that's what he wanted: _for her to stay._

"It's better for her not to know. I…hurt Inuyama. You know how much of a pacifist she is."

Too many complications… Family was supposed to be family no matter what; at least that's what the ryukyuan had assumed. But Obaasan was not such a woman that could handle knowing such a truth. He gave an audible groan, and decided on taking a seat by the woman who he knew had some serious emotional baggage to overcome.

Together, they attuned themselves to the noises of the night. The background resonance of the waves created a rhythmic hymn. Periodically, foamy swells crashed into boulder formations poking up from the sea floor and the sprays of salt continued to corrode their sharp outlines. From some distant place, the faint cry of an owl cut through the tranquility as its talons swooped after a unfortunate rodent. Against the waitress's bosom, Momo seemed to stir restlessly.

It was Fuu who broke their lack of speech first, "When I hurt Inuyama, everything sort of went _blank _in my head. I saw you there, and the sword on the ground, and before I knew it I hadn't even registered what I'd done." When he didn't reply, she continued on, "Has it ever been like that for you? Has there ever been a moment where your mind went blank while fighting?"

"Couple a' times." he wished to avoid _that _topic. "Reason being, I was usually too plastered off a' sake to remember much." Perhaps the statement was a way of bringing some lightheartedness to the subject. Still, it was just far too grave for jokes… Both travelers knew that.

"Does it…does it hurt always?"

"What."

"You know: taking a life. I always thought it would be so natural for you and Jin, like you've done it so many times that it didn't matter anymore."

"It don't."

"…No?"

"You just…get _immune_. You swing a blade 'cause you're ready to win or lose. You kill 'cause you know it's either them or you. There ain't an in-between. On the battlefield, if you hesitate, _if you regret_ for a second, you_ die_. That's all there is to it." His whole life he'd abided by those simple rules of bloody, scarring battle. Miyakoshima—the Ryukyuan penal island—must have been what forged this brutally morose mindset. Rather...that remorseless place should be named Hell itself for creating such a dark code to follow.

"I see…"

"_You_ ain't like that, girlie. You're_ never _gonna be like that. Me an' Four-Eyes were just…born and bred different." he said. "Same with Inuyama. That bastard had what was comin' to him. He _got off_ on fighting. He was wanderin' the world for _someone _who could take him down… It just so happened to be you. If anything, _ya did him a favor_."

Something within those words appeared to have been deeply unsettling. Shown was this, especially after she pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing elbows there while leaning sluggishly against frost bitten hands. If it were not for the bad lack of lighting…Mugen could've more accurately confirmed that a stray tear may have brimmed on those long lashes that cast even longer shadows. They hid a slew of thoughts that he wished to read—though he'd certainly never admit to desiring to know whatever went of women's minds. "…Is that what you're looking for too?"

Like an ingrained reflex, his gaze immediately shot her way; perhaps it withheld shock. To his apprehension, Fuu refrained from turning to face his astonishment, brown eyes searching over the ocean's swaying mass mirroring the darkness of the skies. Whatever she searched onward for hadn't seemed to be found amidst the gloomy horizon. What she searched on for…was more light. More hope… Lately there seemed to be less and less going around.

"Are you looking for someone to_ kill_ you eventually, Mugen?"

What a question…

Always, the snarky bastard could whip up a comeback or a retort without much effort that could have even the greatest, most cultured lords feeling utterly dense. Here and now with such an honest question, the ex-pirate squirmed within his own skin. Her glance was quick, but it caught sight of the way his jaw set stiffly and the way his eyebrows scrunched together. The question unnerved the man greatly, for it probed into his head…a place she knew he didn't want anyone to ever tread. For a moment, it seemed there would be no answer…until short syllables _did_ form, connecting one by one.

"I just…I used to lived for the day to day. Fought 'cause I had to; ta' survive. And when I got so used to it, I forced myself to _like_ it. After awhile…it began to feel like that was all I _lived for_: to prove myself with the sword skills I made up."

Fuu didn't bother to comment, slinking another unknown expression further behind the ridges of her knees.

"Every day I used to ask myself: 'Will this be the last day I lie in the sun?'. To tell ya the truth, I'd _always _been ready to die."

"So what changed?" Her casual tenor masked an overwhelming curiosity. Maybe he'd chosen to ignore the fact that the body beside him scooted faintly closer, erasing inches of space, yet not getting too close for it to be something of which to point out aloud.

At the beginning of this crazy goose hunt—months ago though sometimes feelings like a few days —she'd asked him _why_ exactly he'd decided on accompanying her to find Jin. At that time, Mugen altogether avoided the issue, chasing Momo after losing a rice ball to the creature. Maybe it was just an excuse to avoid answering. Walls were closing in fast and soon the unanswerable had to be answered…no longer could it be avoided.

"It's like…I had somethin' to _do_. Something I left unfinished. Before you an' Four-Eyes, I'd wandered aimlessly, killing anyone stronger than me…or any asshole with the balls to cross me. Maybe I _was _waitin' around for someone that I _knew_ I couldn't beat. Otherwise, I'd just keep on goin' without a reason. Maybe I really _did_ wait for that moment I'd just _have to_ give up 'cause I couldn't move anymore… There wouldn't be anything to worry about. I'd have nothin' to leave behind and I could just die with no regrets." He sucked in a mouthful of February air, subsequently blowing out a thread of steam. "But it ain't like that anymore."

"Why?" inquired the girl once more.

"You're just _there_, right when you're not supposed to be!"

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><p><em>As the ship explodes and his immobile form sinks lower and lower into oblivion…he outstretches branded arms.<em>

_He can't die. Not yet, even when water fills the last corners of his bursting lungs, and the final images of the surface blurs…until there is nothing._

_And then the criminal is taken…taken back to memories of sin. Of betrayals, and lies, and all that he wishes to forget; a past never to be shaken free from the boundaries of his soul stained such a hideous black._

_Eyes shining in flecks of gold, through them he sees the beings donning cloaks of death form a circle, surrounding their victim, overpowering him… But he still believes he's not yet ready to die._

_Not here. Why is this so?_

_Why is there so much light…when he should still be falling into darkness? Why is the sky below, the ocean above, and he unable to move in the purgatory between? He doesn't beg the dark robed adjudicators for forgiveness or freedom… No. He demands his life back. And to his surprise, the beings oblige that request as they fade from sight one by one into the core of that __austere __whiteness. They toss the lifeless body back to the waters overhead without a word, and give only that one indication that it is not time to leave this world._

_He won't die. But why?_

_The last things he sees before fading from consciousness…_

…_is an old friend on a beach who betrays him._

…_then a man he promises to kill._

…_and finally, for just an ephemeral moment, there's the face of a scolding girl. What unfinished business do they possibly hold?_

_Sunflowers. A journey to find sunflowers. A task with many questions…and one with not a single answer. A journey that will likely reap little to no rewards. _

_Why must he come back then?_

_Because she'd be there, scanning for the sight of red clothes and listening for clogged steps. On the shore bathed in gentle morning radiance, she'd be waiting, like always, blinking back sorrow for the sinner. Little did the annoying wench know…_

…_that night, it is her who calls back his soul._

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><p>"You got in the way every fuckin' time I'd almost lost…almost given up. And even though it ain't true that I <em>want <em>to give up…it's like I don't got no choice anymore because you're always getting in the frickin' way!"

_Was this his way of saying he had a reason to live?_

He meant this both physically and as a deep confession of the times when life faded and he only saw her, heard her...which escaped the woman's understanding.

"Ever since we looked for your sunflower samurai…I had a motivation; a purpose. I used ta' think ya didn't _need_ a reason to fight."

They held each other's stares, and that steel gray in _his_ owned a force that none other possessed. As a shiver passed through her body, it wasn't the cold, rather that same intensity digging into the windows of the girl's soul that revealed to be the true underlying cause.

"And I used to think that no one could ever care if a jerk like you died." she said, voice faltering low enough that the vagrant barely heard the weak giggle. "But then…_I_ _did_." Even when their eyes stayed on each others, smaller fingers slipped closer, and enclosed around the hand that's been cut by Inuyama. Immediately the grip caused_ his_ gaze to move to where Fuu forced the injured palm open, winding fingers between his own. Neither party made any move to separate this contact. "You always,_ always_ put yourself through hell to protect me. I never thanked you for all those times." Likewise, Mugen never thanked her for bringing his psyche back from the verge of the bleak afterlife: drowning because of Mukuro and Koza's treachery…with Sara standing overhead…and so many other instances where the crows came by and were shooed off with just the resonance of his name.

"Tch. It's what bodyguards do, ain't it?"

"No. It's what _you_ did. For me." Just slightly, Mugen felt a squeeze on that same hand, nowhere near enough to cause pain, but providing a reassurance without words that she _was _showing a form of appreciation.

She however, didn't dare test limits too far and decided that it be better to retreat her hand back to the side of her hip; to that action, Mugen seemed to have found a sense of relief.

"It scares me, you know. One of these days…I'm afraid you won't win. But I know that fighting is what kept you alive all this time. So I know you can't and_ won't_ stop… But a part of me wishes you'll stop fighting for me and Jin like you did today. I want you to _live_ for_ you_. Not for us. And that's why…that's why I did what I did today."

"I ain't gonna _die_." laughed the ex-criminal. "Have some faith in me, will ya?"

"…That's not the first time you've said that."

Another long silence returned to their conversation. Strangely, the individuals resting side by side didn't mind that. This quietness grew comforting lingering between the pair, not holding any trace of tension, much unlike the fishing village hours prior… On this secret beach, each felt miles from the encroaching shogunate, and the fear that the government group would likely bring.

Mugen especially grew to value silent times the same as these. Somehow, it formed a balance to the man's everyday life, where he both induced and found trouble; for the mere sight of his cerulean markings rang loud to all observers. "Criminal. Theif. Murderer." the tattoos would scream to all. Where only the elegy of the sea faded in then out, it calmed his bundled nerves, relaxed the arms always steeling for battle, legs preparing to dash. Every muscle usually pulsated with the need to take action, readying for the sword to be drawn. Sure he loved those days too when his blood pumped, and the frenzy of battle was a euphoric high...but calmness had its own comfort as well. Perhaps after fighting Jin so many times without winning, created this developed appreciation for peace. Around the samurai, many times he'd wholly dropped his guard (though he'd never let the samurai know) knowing that no one would attempt to slit his throat while he slept.

In the presence of the woman who sat at his side, who now made little figure-eights in the sand with a thumb, she too always provided that ease.

Barely did their silence last long…when Fuu again turned to face him, ready to dish out another question. But that hadn't bothered him either… Because unlike complete silence that Jin represented, or the complete loudness that he'd always provided…Fuu somehow stayed in between both as the balance that could calm chaos or bring energy to a lack of motion. Perhaps even more than the silence and chaos, he found fulfilled solace in that ideal equilibrium.

One minute, she healed him, another pissed him off. One minute she cried, another smiled… Always the same sense of balance. Maybe he enjoyed it all.

"Back when we first started this journey…do you remember you said that you might believe in fate?"

"Why ya bringin' this crap up now?"

"Because I'm starting to." As he picked at his ear, and stared out to sea, the girl nudged his shoulder to regain attention. "Think about it! You found me again: all the way back in Edo when we parted ways outside of Nagasaki. Out of all the places we could've ended up, we ended up there and reunited under circumstances that saved me…just like when we first met. And then…I met my grandmother out of all the places in Japan."

"What are ya trying to say?"

"Maybe we're fated to do something together."

"An' that would _be_?" half laughed the man, whose lascivious smirk seemed to grow and stretch from ear to ear.

That damn gape pinned her down like a startled doe, and while blushing, she soon realized how _completely_—_mistakenly_—suggestive the previous statement may have sounded. "I-I mean we…we were_ meant to_ find Jin, right?"

"Listen, if ya decide to find Four-Eyes, that's _your _decision. Don't try to pin _everything_ on fate. It only goes so far."

She pouted, "So then…you don't believe in it?"

Fate defied _everything_ Mugen believed in. If destiny controlled how the future would end up, what purpose existed in making one's own choices? It all chalked to a bunch of bullshit to him; something he believed people said to romanticize, and hyperbolize stories with such a magical word: _fate._ Yet, neither could he deny that their star crossed encounters were unquestionably often, nothing short of strange. Divine intervention, perhaps? …Funny he even considered such a thing either, when the topic of a god always avoided his mind beforehand, since he could neither figure if he believed in one or not. The way Mugen lived, he always assumed that if God was up there on a throne in the clouds, they'd just stay out of each other's way. …Seemed like God got in the way first with that so called "fate" concept…

"All I can say is if there's a God up there somewhere and fate's in his hands, that bastard got one_ helluva_ sense of humor."

"My father would turn in his grave hearing you say that." remarked Fuu, remembering the complete devotion Kasumi Seizou possessed for his faith. "Well, if you don't believe in fate as an "excuse" to find Jin…then do you still want to find him if it's our decision? Because I want to find him. To the very end. No more uncertainty. We need to warn him about the government. And…I need to give these back too." From the depths of her kimono, Fuu retrieved the samurai's half cracked glasses. Through these travels, the frames seemed to have grown further worn ; soon the left lens would crack altogether and would have to be replaced.

The object in hand drew attention, and his amusement formed just a half curve of a smirk. "Wasn't that the plan all along?" His eyes rose to meet hers, whose brightened in the dark, surely.

"So, you _will_ accompany me?"

"Better get some sleep. Tomorrow we're headin' towards Osaka on the way to Hiroshima. And it's a_ long_ way, girlie."

For the first time since leaving the village, Fuu's mouth managed to form a smile. "Thank you Mugen."

The girl stood first, followed by her ryukyuan bodyguard that still appeared to be scanning over the general vicinity for any signs of life other than their own. Countless battles made one learn to never be too careful. On the other hand, Fuu seemed no longer on edge, feeling perfectly secure in the convict's presence. As far as she was concerned, no danger would come tonight.

A lukewarm current of air seeped in from the east, and with it, carried along the sharp aroma of sea salt. Momentarily, she stopped on the sandy beach, looking to the sky and breathed in that nostalgic air. After that, they walked onward to the rising cliffs, hoping to find a warmer rest in the sheltering cave.

Nearing the top, Mugen decided his new guard post should be remaining outside that cavern, ensuring no trouble would befall them this night. While the ex-criminal sat back down, positioned at the forefront, his companion planned to return to the bedroll inside. Yawning and stretching out, he seemed to have flopped onto his back, crossing tattooed arms behind his head. "I'll keep watch for another hour or so out here."

"Okay. Goodnight then.

"Wait." his guttural yanki accent cut in suddenly, reverberating into the stone walls.

Fuu stopped quite awkwardly due to the unforeseen callousness within the tone, only somewhat turning back. He hadn't looked her way, instead continuing to focus on the outside ridges of the cave's entrance and to the swirling violet vortex beyond that. "I'll help ya find Four-Eyes to the very end… but you gotta promise me somethin' first."

'_A promise…_?'

Usually it was always _her _begging for him to fulfill whatever promise—ones most oft unpredictable—she threw his way. On the other hand, the ex-pirate established the fact_ quite_ clearly that he wasn't good at keeping such pledges, which only furthered this oddity that he _of all people _desired for such a thing to be fulfilled.

It practically came out as a full command. "You coulda' got killed today and you did somethin' you shouldn't have had to do. Don't pull some stupid shit like protect_ me_. …Don't ever get in the way while I'm fightin' someone again."

As much as Fuu wanted him to live, Mugen realized it undoubtedly wasn't what fate—if it happened to exist—had planned. People whether good or bad underneath just weren't forgiven, absolved…and_ most certainly _not saved if they'd led a wicked life. Anarchic beasts couldn't be veered from the straight path leading to all encompassing death. But Fuu…_she could be._ Because of that, he'd be the protector for as long as need be… Until he _wasn't _needed. Until they found Jin.

"Whatever you do…_don't _try ta' save me." his words persisted…as did the subtle pain spreading inside Fuu's chest. Her fist rose to clench the pink kimono fabric there until each knuckle couldn't possibly lose anymore pigment.

The girl nodded slowly, though Mugen failed to see. "Alright." she somehow—barely— managed to get out from between pursed lips, prior to hastily retreating to the awaiting blankets that promised to provide the warmth the outside…and Mugen seemed to suddenly lack.

When the cotton fibered covers reached to the bridge of her nose, eyes fogging to a misty brown once more, Fuu failed to break off a stare from the ceiling of their private cavern. Up above, the flickering fire light cavorted with the shadows in a capricious dance on the smooth stone, contrasting each other, then blending again; light and dark…one that cannot exist without the other. Sleep did not prevail. Not this night, not when the somber traveler couldn't prevent re-contemplating the _weight_ of her bodyguard's request.

"_Whatever you do…don't try ta' save me." _

Honestly…Fuu didn't know if she'd be able to keep that promise.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

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><p>[AN]: _Not much going on this chapter…Sucky and short. But I hope you enjoyed some aspect of their conversation. Their relationship has expanded by a lot since the beginning and lately the storyline has taken a more serious turn. Don't worry, I'll be sure to include some fluffiness really soon ;]_

Jin: I must ask…

Me: Yeah?

Jin: Why have you been including Shino and I in so many ending skits as of late? Is this your way of covering for not including us in a chapter? Because if so, I am disappointed in your efforts.

Me: Awww, sounds like someone wants to be in a chapter!

Jin: Hmm…

Me: Well, if you're going to be like that, I guess I _won't_ write about you, Mr. Onlybeeninonechaptersofar.

Jin: *fidgets*

Me: Those who want their way should speak up.

Jin: …You really should. *fixes glasses nervously*

Me: What? I can't hear youuuu.

Jin: WRITE THE CHAPTER OR SO HELP ME- *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*

Shino: Jin feels as though he has been reduced to a side character. Please refrain from mistreating him. Like I said before, he's quite a sensitive man. *bows*

*Somewhere far, far away*

Mugen: Did you just hear something? Like Four-Eyes yellin'?

Fuu: Jin, _yell_? Yeah right! Must be your imagination.

_You know what to do! Please review any and all thoughts! Love you guys with all the love my fangirl heart can give X3 Until next time with a new chapter all about a completely new side character and an old friend! Stay tuned :D_

_**End of Chapter 27**_


	30. Chapter 28 Tutelage and Tranquility

_**Chapter 28 Tutelage and Tranquility**_

{Original Title: A Man of Few Words and Many Teachings}

_[A/N]: Atashi wa…shinda… Just when I thought my computer problems couldn't get worse…I…slipped on some black ice and dropped my laptop bag in the process. A large portion of the screen is now cracked and is a white and black space. How I managed to still type is a miracle. And wasn't Fanfiction's server down yesterday?_

To **guest reviewer Caz9,** Thanks! I really wanted to provide more emotional development between this couple through their dialogue. And after this chapter, there's a heavy chance of fluffy showers :3 ...In television dramas, people squeak when their favorite couple has sex. Us fuugen fans squeak when Fuu grabs Mugen's hand. The more I think about that, the more funny…and tragic that is *insert my manic laughing that soon turns to sobbing*

To **guest reviewer**,_ two_ pleases?! Well I can't deny a reader their request! Here's some more ^^

_In other news,__this chapter features a new OC's life (my current favorite). It's necessary to fill more loose ends and gives a BIG break from romance. Forgive me!_

**Disclaimer****:**I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, other characters etc. Okay seriously, I'm going to have to start disclaiming disclaimers about how I don't own the disclaimers considering how many disclaimers I have to disclaim. …Disclaimception… O.o

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><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 28 Tutelage and Tranquility<strong>_

As a toddler, he had tugged on his parent's sleeves and with big, curious eyes, asked _why_ things had to be specifically "_this way"_ or "_that way_". He never understood _why _some were born into wealth, others into poverty and how the rigid social hierarchy prevented a conversion between. His parents had always said: _"It's just the way the world is, little one. It's just the way the world is."_

But Norio just couldn't accept that. Not even now.

Why must _samurai _be the ones to keep swords at their waists when they barely used them besides to beat on peasants who couldn't pay the high taxes? And _why oh why_ do those same men pledge loyalty to masters that are little else besides corrupt?

Mainly though, the boy—now fourteen years of age—asked himself why _he too_ fell into this political corruption. He _hated_ samurai. _Loathed_ their sugar coated speeches of integrity, and loyalty, and honor most of all. Like they ever _bothered _to follow the words leaving their lying lips…

Yet here the teenager was, putting on samurai clothes, endeavoring to be one himself.

He had to beat the reason for it back into mind a couple of times per day. He'd become a samurai to _defy being born a peasant_, and be better than all the rest. He'd make money to support himself and his younger brother, and would no longer have to worry about no food, or no place to live. That was the plan.

So far, his social status had been overlooked by the dojo teacher, since the ronin never asked for extensive background information, just the monthly payment for tutelage. Come to think of it, the samurai barely said _anything_ anyway.

This morning, just like every morning since he'd become a student at that dojo, Norio slipped both arms into his black kimono and knotted the cloth belt around pleated hakama pants that hardly fit on such a slender boy's waist. His normal stature didn't say "imposing" in any way; he hadn't hit a major growth spurt just yet, barely over five feet tall. But in this particular uniform, he continued to hope that his overall appearance may resemble a _true samurai_, if not a fraction of one.

Ironically, these high quality garments were…stolen from one of Hiroshima's more _exclusive_ textile districts. As far as he knew, samurai didn't steal anything. _'Besides innocent lives..._' scowled the adolescent. He liked to think that morbid truth justified his own recent actions. Finishing up this daily ritual, a rusted pair of katana were strapped to his left hip—first the larger daito, accompanied by the smaller wakizashi—though he'd never yet had the chance to use either. Unlike the clothes, acquiring katana had been an honest tale. Most of the youth's inheritance had gone towards buying the only swords it could afford.

Giving a laugh that had sounded very much like a wheeze, a pot bellied blacksmith had handed the orphan the ugliest, most badly tarnished excuses of swords he'd ever seen. But he couldn't complain: recently, he'd begged that same owner of the forge for lodging, giving up the very_ last_ of his savings in return. All winter, he and his brother had a place to live. So no matter how hard the portly weapon smith expected them to work or how badly he treated them, Norio had gritted his teeth and bided down the heated anger.

The adolescent reached to the back of his head, combing through the straight strands with his fingers. For the last several months the hair had been grown out, just like the other dojo students. Unlike their ponytails however, he'd only grown a small tuft… He sighed and bundled it up, and then bent down to put on his sandals.

A weak tug on one sleeve caused his preparations to cease.

"Onii-san…are you really going to the dojo again?" asked a younger child, six years Norio's junior.

His kid brother had short hair a jet black that gleamed sapphire when sunlight cascaded upon his head, just like their father. Yet, Mirai's eyes were sparkling hazel gems, and his mouth always formed a little grin in the corners that resembled their mother. Sadly, Mirai wouldn't have known of this, given that their mother died the moment she brought him into this cruel world.

"I _have_ to go, Mirai."

"But your bruises haven't healed yet!" Mirai persisted, tugging harder.

Though he'd pressed snow against that purple-black blotch, the swelling on his cheek hadn't gone down. _Bruises from kenjutsu practice_: that's probably what the younger, innocent boy assumed to be the cause.

Truth is…yesterday night some of the vendors at the marketplace caught Norio taking fruit again. Produce was especially expensive this time of year. Punishment for stealing promised to be severe, but his resolve to feed the malnourished younger sibling had been a far greater drive. At the time, he'd been much too careless—overconfident in his thieving abilities—and they'd caught him, discovered _who_ had been the insect that'd been stealing from the stalls all along: _the clothes, the food, the money_.

At least the shopkeepers settled with a good beating rather than arrest…or a few fingers.

Several sprained ribs and over a dozen bruises later, the teenager_ still_ wanted to go to kenjutsu practice, aware that most of the stolen money had already gone towards schooling. If class was skipped, it'd all go to waste… "Don't worry about that, okay? Are _you_ going to be safe by yourself?"

"Yeah, I will."

"Don't talk to any strangers. Do your chores for the blacksmith and wait until I get back. Promise?"

"…Promise."

Smiling, he patted Mirai on the head, before pulling him close and vigorously rubbing his scalp with the knuckles of his fist: something their dad used to call _a noogie on the noggin_. At first the child struggled, and then fitfully giggled, until the two brothers were both falling on the floor together, breaking into a giddy harmony of laughter.

Dawn peaked over the distant snowy peaks and dips in the land surrounding Hiroshima. Its light slipped into the window of their closet-sized room, signifying it would soon be time to go, lest he planned to arrive late. Around each ankle, he secured the straps of his winter sandals and stood.

The smaller child's stomach rumbled.

"_Maybe_ I can ask that woman at the dojo for some food again."

Hearing that, Mirai grinned widely, revealing a gap where a baby tooth had fallen out three nights ago. "Okay! She's really nice! I wish I could meet her."

"Someday maybe. Well, I'll be home this evening."

"Wait, Onii-san!" Once again, the stumbling little boy reached for his older brother's arm. Into the larger hand, Mirai placed a tiny green sphere: a melon flavored hard candy. "I was saving this for later, but you'll need it more than me to keep your strength up."

Norio shook his head, "I can't take this! It's your favorite sweet!"

"Just promise you'll bring food when you come home!"

Chuckling, the teen tousled his brother's hair again, "I promise, lil' bro."

Head up and shoulders back, he strode to the door, and skipped down the flight of stairs, as their room was located just above the forge. On the last step, he almost tripped after hearing the cringe worthy sound of the old blacksmith's garbled accent.

"Where dah ya think _you're_ going?"

"…The dojo. Just like every day."

Currently, the fat man dragged a sword against the grindstone his feet worked madly to pedal, thus rotating the sharpening mechanism. A renowned magistrate of another city had asked for a large number of katana to be made to accommodate the samurai force under his thumb. Such a request was a great honor…and also a jeopardizing situation if he did not comply. To fulfill that order on schedule, the blacksmith worked double time to perfect the steel so it would neither tarnish nor break. Help was short since Norio left to the dojo, and as a result, he'd forced the younger sibling to aid in this venture.

"What about _my _money?!" Even at a fair distance, one could smell the sweaty blacksmith's breath that reeked heavily of gum disease. The man's cavity ridden mouth resembled a giant gaping fissure that threatened to devour Norio whole. "I can't keep giving you kids free board anymore!"

_They didn't have anywhere else to go!_

"But my brother does work for you!"

"Dat worthless brat is too stupid and clumsy to manage a forge." He pointed a greasy finger at the pair of katana on the boy's hip. "Those swords I sold you…if ya can't pay for dah board, I want dem back. A kid shouldn't be carrying sumthin' like dat anyway."

"Please, just give us a little more time! I'll find some way to get your money today."

"If you don't work for me now and forget dah dojo, den get_ my_ money by sunset. Otherwise, you're _done_. Dat _clear_ enough for you?!"

"By sunset…I'll get the money." murmured the boy.

The blacksmith outstretched a hairy arm, beckoning, "Then hand ovah dah swords until den."

Flames of resentment being fanned all the more, the aspiring samurai obliged with gritted teeth, and returned the only things of value he possessed to his name.

* * *

><p>Southwest of Hiroshima, there existed a small village; home to the newly opened dojo that Norio attended. Five times a week, he made the trek there and back by foot, which equaled over a ten mile walk per day… Lately, he'd even begun to jog to increase both physical fitness, and also to leave later and return earlier in an effort to scrounge up money. But because of the time frame of traveling there and back, he usually returned to the city as soon as the glowing sun threatened to abandon the winter sky. And the last low paying job he'd found had fired him for arriving late.<p>

An endless cycle of poverty entrapped the orphaned sons. Norio needed to be trained at this dojo in order to get a job as a samurai. Until then however, he had no source of income to provide for himself or his little brother he hoped to take care of. Alas, doubts about their financial condition would only become a burden to his studies in the way of the sword. He perished the thoughts.

…After what seemed like forever, the farming settlement came into sight, as did the forest that's elevation began to gradually rise over the many houses. In between those tall, snow clad trees, a small path of unevenly set stairs led up a hill, to the Kenjutsu School at the zenith. Clusters of other adolescents slipped under the intricately painted awning at the foot of the stone flight. It read: _Chanpuru Kenjutsu Dojo_. Step by step, the apprentice swordsmen made way up the path, trying not to slip on ice as they pushed and shoved one another playfully.

Only one among them walked on with only the thoughts of sword training in mind.

At the top, the dojo truly was capable of taking anyone's breath away. No matter how many times the youth had been there, the serenity of that location always managed to take him by surprise. Tall walls with cerulean shingles stood on the perimeter of the large courtyard and the building centered within. Many tree branches leaned over those barriers, their branches billowing in the wind: some of them had already started to sprout leaf buds, showing that springtime planned to come early. On the other side of the snowy courtyard that the children usually played in, Norio had helped the teacher's wife set up a rock garden until the weather would allow a better collection of flora to be planted. As for the school itself, it was an impressive size, with wooden porches and intricately crafted shoji doors around the structure.

Their teacher in a gray gi and black hakama—Hojo Yukimaru—already awaited their arrival inside. He'd set a number of bokuto on the floor. They each greeted him with a formal bow and picked up the wooden blades at their sides.

For the day's first lesson, Master Hojo instructed his students to swing the practice swords above their heads, and descend them down as fast as they could, repeatedly. And so they had.

…After twenty minutes of this exceedingly dull routine, only Norio grew restless. The others meanwhile, continued on without question. He stopped, leaning the wood over a shoulder. "Hojo-shishou… Why are we doing this? It seems so pointless."

Other students continued on, but muttered amongst each other with distaste. "_Just like always_, Norio has the damn nerve… Can't he just shut up for once?" a freckle faced student whispered to the taller boy at his side. Their fellow student uprooted _every single technique…_when everyone knew he wasn't even of samurai blood.

Their master didn't seem bothered by the question. "It is to hone one's attack response to an approaching opponent. The sword will become one with the body and mind. If an opponent approaches you, you will act without thought and immediately move your sword vertically. It's a practice to make your reaction time faster."

"But the action has flaws! If a multitude of enemies attack at once, and your body is trained to react by swinging down….then the other enemies will attack you. And what if they were behind you? How would your body respond then?"

"In another ten minutes, we will switch the routine." And with that, the teacher walked off.

…He hadn't given an answer, just like everyone. Because he didn't _have _an answer… Something about that really ticked Norio off. But as he turned to the others, watching their absurdly rigid motions, Norio remembered quickly _why_ he was here. Not to ask questions. Not to rekindle his hatred for samurai. At a loss, he picked up the bokuto weapon with a sharp grunt, and followed the lesson accordingly.

At the time…none had noticed how pleased Master Hojo was. When others were too clueless or afraid to open their mouths, that one boy had to have a reason instead of blindly following orders.._._

Hours following that, the children were taught other techniques, all of which were related to this same style. He'd used a series of demonstrations, having pairs come up to perform them. And so the hours flew by.

* * *

><p>Break time came after five hours in training.<p>

Nearly all the other students were spread around the dojo yard, playing tag and kicking a rubber ball one of them had brought, while others gossiped to themselves. Likewise, Norio no longer wasted his break for idle time of leisure. He sat on the wooden porch that wrapped around the entire building, swinging his legs from the ledge, with a book in hand that discussed techniques for disarming opponents' weapons. Learning such things proved far more vital than the latest bullshit the other kids talked about. Really, he just wanted the teacher to come back so they could get on with the day.

"Hah! Look at that sulking idiot."

Some of those same kids that had talked bad about him earlier were gawking from afar. They were completely tuned out, as Norio burrowed his nose farther into the details of the complicated text.

"Hey, _you_!"

_Obviously,_ he knew who they referred to, seeing as no one here ever bothered to refer to the outcast by name. Soon the entire group of about twelve kids approached, and surrounded his position on the flat porch.

"So where's your swords today, huh? _Daddy_ take 'em away? Or did the samurai you _stole_ them from find out?" one taunted, wickedly grinning at the other whose mouth had puckered into a frown. _Damn that blacksmith for taking the katana back._ "What's your business here anyway? Why you trying to learn kenjutsu so bad?"

"You can't follow the techniques our teacher taught us, and you don't take orders!" a child even younger than Norio added in, "Oh! And I' almost forgot, you're the son of some _dead_ pauper! Everyone knows you ain't a samurai's kid! Maybe it's better you're not. You'd be shaming _any_ family name with how _pathetic_ you are!"…Many samurai families in the area acquainted themselves with each other; made sense that they realized _which _of the students wasn't among those many revered clans…

"Hey, you even listening?!"

To their frustration, the ever reserved Norio tuned them all out, kept reading, and reached for the melon candy in a pocket. When it almost reached his lips, one of the kids swatted it from his hand; while a nasty confidant stomped on it, grinding the marble down into the dirty snow with the curve of his heel.

Mirai's favorite treat…now a thousand fragments of sugar gone to waste….

Without warning, Norio's hands began to shake all on their own. They shook so badly that he'd dropped the book, and balled both palms into fists to contain the building ire engulfing every nerve. He stood up, looking the much taller boy right in the eye. "And what about all of you? Your fathers are all unemployed ronin too lazy to get off their asses to get a job!"

The taller student scoffed, "We all know the teacher's wife gives you free food! That's the only reason you're here! You're practically a stray dog who just wandered in looking for free scraps!"

Two of his peers had maneuvered their way around where he'd sat. "Well strays deserve to eat DIRT!" Simultaneously, they pushed the angered boy from the edge of the porch and right into the ground.

Cruelly, the whole group began kicking him in the ribs… As for the pain, he didn't even feel it whatsoever. Already, his torso was bruised beyond belief from being beaten in the cold city streets from the many shopkeepers that each gave their own dosage of payback. All that aching just turned into numbness…

"Aww, you want to cry to mommy?" the teenagers laughed.

A woman in a light emerald garb—many believed to be the owner's wife—saw the altercation from the kitchen window. Soon, she was running to the fight, huffing, with a hand over the recent swell of her stomach. "Hey! Leave him alone! HEY!" None of the boys listened, though for a moment Norio's gaze had found hers past the many kicking feet that hadn't relented. She'd always been kind to him, offering food to take home to he and Mirai whenever she saw him leaving. In return he'd stayed after to help her form the serene rock garden she'd just recently finished on the other side of the building.

Her teary eyes were filled with an immense sense of worry…_so similar to one of the last images he managed to preserve of his deceased mother_…

Just like Master Hojo had said about reacting to an opponent without thought, mere instinct caused the weakened boy to violently lunge at the knees of one of the tallest teenagers …The same boy who'd swatted the candy from his hand; Takao his name was, and he'd been mocking him since day one. "You little shit!" The two began wrestling in the uneven piles of snow, until the elder pinned him down and punched Norio right into the jaw. But he stayed firm, flipped them over and began pummeling the bastard beneath.

As the woman neared to break up the skirmish, a soft hand placed on her shoulder halted her frenzied strides. The raven haired lady of the dojo turned around, seeing her lover at her side. Their eyes met. Words didn't need to be exchanged to know that he'd better handle this violent situation that soon threatened to get out of control. Pregnant women after all, should rest. She nodded, though her look of worry did not digress, before hobbling back to the building.

The dojo master silently approached, hopping quickly from the porch to the yard, and strode smoothly towards the ensuing fistfight.

"Hmm…"

Just_ that_ sound caused the many cheering tormentors to jump. As they cautiously turned around, seeing the displeasure apparent through the samurai's cold and calculated gaze, they obeyed the wordless command to move from the determined man's path. Metal slid against the inside of its lacquer scabbard. All of the others that'd dispersed to the wooden balcony inhaled a lungful of air, and didn't _dare_ let it free. The teacher had…_unsheathed_ his sword. And still the quarreling pair took no notice.

In the heat of the fistfight, neither Takao nor Norio relented. Once again, the larger boy gained the upper hand. Takao reeled back his fist, and turning his head, Norio flinched in anticipation for the delivery of the punch.

_Click. _

Meager centimeters from their heads, a katana had been stabbed into the ground.

Norio peeked through his firmly shut eyes, and at his side saw the reflection of a stranger in the shiny flat side of the blade… Dark circles curved below the contours of his eyes from lack of sleep all these months. Even his cheeks had gone unnaturally gaunt and pale. He could barely even recognize himself anymore... Instead, in that fleeting image within the mirror edge, Norio saw his father's fragile, troubled features…right before he…

_Right before he'd been killed._

After seeing the sword and then the shadow covering them, the fright stricken Takao immediately eased the hold on the boy beneath. "Hojo-shishou…please forgive my behavior." he bowed to the ground.

Norio sat up and spit blood from his newly broken lip, "Tch… You all talk _so_ big, and then run like rats when our teachers comes. And_ I'm_ the pathetic one?"

The teacher's stern expression hadn't changed in the slightest. "What is the meaning of this?"

Peering up at the imposing figure standing overhead, Norio _did_ kind of understand why all of the students respected the samurai so much. His features did not possess a single wrinkle, and yet he was wiser than many seniors. Despite being a young man surely in his early twenties, Hojo Yukimaru somehow possessed an air of grace; a presence that deserved admiration though not once did he demand it from anyone. Much like a blank slate, his remarkably pale face outlined by two strands of hair had always been washed free of emotion. But if one were to take a closer look, his eyes now contained inside...a startling chilliness that contrasted his usually impassive demeanor. Those icy irises pinned down anyone daring to cross him (not that anyone had in quite some time).

A purely regal man that didn't need a title: that's what Yukimaru was.

Not that he _liked_ to admit it, but Norio sometimes thought that if all samurai could be like this one, then Japan might not be such an insufferable mess.

No. He'd barely let that thought slide…

…_Never _would he forget the ghastly image on that muddy road. _And the sound the samurai made…how they laughed! They laughed as the blunt sides of their katana caused the man's skull to bleed, laughed as they continued to beat the body that'd already gone still, laughed as they walked off without cleaning up the corpse, laughed as one of the little boys crawled to the carcass' side and couldn't stop sobbing… _

Deep down, Norio resented Master Hojo for just making these students into just more greedy, war mongering fools that lost the meaning of honor long ago. He sneered and looked down to his swollen fist. In the end…_all_ samurai were the same.

"Hojo-shishou! He disrespected us, our parents and most importantly,_ you_! Norio's form is incorrect! It's completely lacking in what you taught us. And he is always questioning your technique! We…we were trying to teach him a lesson!" babbled off the bastard that had instigated first.

"…So you believe my technique is the only correct path of which to follow?"

"Y-yes sir!"

Stare drifting to the rest of the apprentices, the teacher's focus returned to the alleged instigator last.

Norio kept his mouth shut. Being kicked out of the dojo was an event he'd been preparing for, for some time. …Bound to happen eventually, considering that everyone complained day in and day out about his presence in the training grounds. Not to mention, Norio had been quite rude to Yukimaru for his entire schooling and lately, very dismissive of his teaching methods.

Their shishou lifted the katana impaled into the dirt, and sheathed it with a graceful swish of his arm. Silent, the teacher sauntered away, his lengthy ponytail swaying against his back at the passing of a brief gust, carrying along a sheet of snowflakes. As the breeze rolled by, many of the hollow wind chimes tied along the edges of the tiled roof induced a calming melody together. One by one, the boys stood on shaky feet, and followed the adult to the training hall in a single file line. The very much _confused _Norio was the last among them to do so.

"Shishou! Can't you remove him from the dojo? I mean…he's not even cut out to be here!" one of Takao's younger friends gave an effort to reignite the topic.

More also began to join in, "He barely can follow the techniques you've taught us!"

"Hojo-shishou!"

He ignored them all. In each hand, the experienced samurai held up a wooden bokuto. "Who here wishes to challenge Norio?"

None raised their hand; until Takao stood with a self-assured smirk lacing over his mouth. "I'll do it."

Norio quietly crept to the center of the room, turning towards the teacher to find some _reason_ for this duel in his expression… Why would he be challenging Takao: to have a reason to be kicked out if he lost?

Each were handed the practice swords. While the row of other students kneeled and watched from one side, Hojo Yukimaru sat alone on the opposite end of the room. Both boys stood there, hands clasped tightly around the hilts of their blades. Moments passed where only their faint breathing cut through the thick silence.

And then, yelling like an animal, Takao ran at Norio who just barely got out of the way of the vertical strike unscathed. Repeatedly, the boy swung downward and each time Norio dodged until he had no choice but to block. When he managed to push the well trained opponent away, Takao refused to relent. They deflected each other's hits, one after the next, closing the space between, and then separating. Each sidestepped in semi-circles around the open space of the room, awaiting for the other to initiate, and trying to anticipate the other's next move. The rippling crash of the two bokuto making contact was sharp and abrupt. The timber against timber clacked so loudly it began to cause the many students' ears to ring as it bounced around the barren hall like a relentless hurricane of racket.

Always, they were trained to fight so straightforwardly, to cut down an opponent directly in front. And yet, the shorter boy could find no opening in the very well guarded Takao's stance. Norio saw the mocking smile on the other's face. "You really think you can compare to any of us? Your kenjutsu form is ALL wrong!"

"Do not see this as a test." spoke Master Hojo suddenly. "Use whatever technique you know to defeat your opponent."

Somehow, Norio thought—or sensed—those words were directed towards him rather than Takao. There was an opening _only_ if he went against everything they'd been taught.

He made his move.

For a split second, he dropped his guard, sword limply held to one side. Just as expected, Takao lunged with his own blade. Norio's tiny ponytail was grazed by that swing, as he'd carefully ducked to avoid the full brunt of the attack. And using his leg to cause the boy to lose coordination, the many young onlookers gasped when Takao nearly fell back. Then rotating behind him, Norio twisted the bokuto at an angle that directly connected with Takao's bicep. There was a small cry of anguish. The older of the two dropped the assigned weapon. Norio took this opportunity to deliver the final strike; the tip of his dull blade dug into the unguarded gut of the other.

Another second passed, and Takao crumpled to the floor.

There was a pause. Many mouths hung agape.

Water leisurely trickled into the sozu fountain outside. Eventually the bamboo tube tilted as the stream drained out into the surrounding soil. The heavier end of the shoot dipped down and hit the mineral placed beneath it, producing a soft _clang _echoing throughout the garden and into the dojo_. _Yukimaru considered it a _sentimental_ chime to his ears; the backyard fountain added to the soothing atmosphere. Instead, at the sound, the edgy students jumped like the startled animals the spout had been _meant_ to scare away.

He'd combined Mujushin Kenjutsu with something that completely defied the style by switching stances and distracting the opponent. Instead of rigidly following orders, he searched for an alternative that ensured victory.

Their master caressed his chin in deep contemplation, for he'd seen a more developed amalgam form like this in the past.

* * *

><p>"<em>...Your stance leaves you wide open, and your movements are completely inefficient. Everything about the way you fight is a total mess." he condescendingly states, within the prison cell where the tortured pair lay side by side.<em>

_The warrior beside him gives a weak attempt to lift his head, "You son of a…" though he's so badly exhausted that his skull only falls back on the wood floor with a thud._

"_I swear, I've never fought anyone as undisciplined as you."_

"_Shut your damn mouth…"_

"_You're also the first opponent I wasn't able to kill…"_

* * *

><p><em>That man had the spirit of an untamable beast nesting in the corners of his soul, who followed the orders of none, except one girl. He was his one true rival; a nonconformist combatant of whom possessed power without limit. <em>

Much to the surprise of the other students, Norio outstretched a hand to Takao in order to help the injured boy stand.

Regardless of the act of kindness…the heavily breathing Takao didn't take it, almost seeming…_afraid_ when he joined the row of kneeling students. Everyone avoided looking to the winner, averting their eyes to the many epitaphs and scrolls around the room as he took a seat on the other side of the line. That same freckle faced boy that'd gossiped about him earlier seemed to have scooted slightly away from the fighter at his side.

Master Hojo began to speak, "To serve your lord and do his bidding even he commits wrong deeds…do you believe that is honorable?"

For hundreds of years, Japan's lords had asked for unquestionable loyalty, even in times of peace. As their sworn duty, samurai had always served without question. So of course, the _children of samurai_ were taught the same. Devoid of hesitation, all of the children—except Norio—gave their expected answer. "Yes sir!"

"So if I were to kill one of you without any reason, is that justifiable since you are my students?"

Certainty fell from their expressions.

"The Warring States Period has ended… Dojos are in decline. And our political leaders care only for self-preservation. Honor is of little consequence. That is why I ask of all of you to serve only those of which you believe are just. Otherwise, you are not any better than the corrupted men you have dedicated your life to."

One of the braver boys raised a hand, and after being allowed to speak, he questioned the point of this conversation. "But…what does this have to do with Norio's insubordination?"

"The martial art I teach you all is one of the purest. It came from the Mujushin Dojo that soon was lost…" the man cast a long look to the snow falling in the yard through the narrow opening between the sliding doors. He seemed conflicted with a specific thought…_or memory._

"…after the last teacher, Mariya Enshirou passed away. This sword technique teaches to not see yourself, your sword, or your opponent but rather to _feel _an unending rhythm of combat, harnessing the flow around you. Like a fish attunes itself to the current of the stream. But this kenjutsu is not about winning or losing, or protecting your leader. It is only devotion to the sword: to not think. React. …I'd sworn loyalty to this art. I practiced day in and day out. But, for a long time, I had no true _reason_ to back up my abilities. …It is not that much different than a samurai blindly following a tyrannical lord. That is why this dojo is not the home of that abandoned style. This is the _Chanpuru _Dojo… The time to follow in the steps of your forefathers is slowly dying… While I may teach you the old ways…I believe it is also necessary to understand that times_ have_ changed. And with it, so must the people. While I follow and teach this pure technique, you all must find your own purpose in why you fight. Norio had done nothing wrong in questioning my lessons."

It hadn't just been the pure profundity of the teacher's speech that had shocked all the students the most. No, that wasn't the reason their mouths and eyes went as wide as they could possibly stretch. Never had they heard Master Hojo string such a great many word together all at once! Most of the time, he'd give instructions, quietly observe their progress and only speak to answer matters someone would bring to attention…

The way he'd spoken so openly even surprised Norio.

"So if you followed this technique for so long, have you never found someone you served?"

"Before opening this dojo, I worked for a daimyo in Hiroshima that recently passed away. He was a truly fair man, and had not asked for my loyalty, nor for my dedication…only that I worked for him as long as I deemed fit. He was, I believe, a man worth serving."

"But you said, you _worked_ for him and he didn't ask for your complete dedication."

Another boy, chubbier than the last, inquired for greater detail on the subject, "So…was there anyone you served without question that you felt was worth dying for? Did you ever possess a true sense of reason?"

"Let me tell you a story…"

Eagerly, the students quieted down to hear their typically silent teacher reveal more.

"There once were two swordsmen, who each fought only for themselves, for fulfillment and held devotion to no one. None were able to defeat them, but neither could they defeat each other. They were opposing elements that canceled each other out. …Perhaps like fire and water, vastly different in_ every_ sense of the word. But _both men_ greatly lacked something: _a reason to fight_. While the one man searched long and hard for a reason to go on, the other man had no desire to possess one. …Ironically, that reason found_ both _of us. We found someone to protect."

"You mean…_you're_ one of the men in that story?"

An answer didn't need to be provided in order for them to know.

"So was the person you served fair? Is that why you both were able to follow them so readily?" one child asked.

"…Our lord was…let's say_ difficult_ and had an agenda that we were never aware of until close to the end of our service. And the other man, even though he hated to admit how attached he'd grown, it was apparent that he would put his life on the line a thousand times over to protect our lord. After all, he'd saved our lord far more than I had. But in the end, she did not care about self-preservation. She was our friend, someone willing to put her life on the line to protect _us _as well."

"_She_? A woman?"

"Was she the daughter of nobility, or one of the emperor's relatives? Maybe even directly related to the shogun himself?!" fired off a particularly enthusiastic adolescent.

"Who _was_ this person?"

"She was…just a fifteen year old girl searching for the scent of sunflowers…"

"EHHHHH?!" all the baffled children yelled in unison.

Many of the man's pupils began to open their mouths for more questions. By lifting up a single palm, the samurai managed to shush them all. "I hope you will think about all of this tonight. You are now free to leave."

Frustrated and huffing, the boys packed their things, put on their sandals and began to head out in pairs and groups.

Norio however, had lingered inside the dojo, observing the great Zen statue of Buddha on the far left end of the training room. Sticks of incense burned upon the altar below it, making the area smell deeply of exotic spices. It was a calming place where he had always found a sense of solace like nowhere else could provide, washing away all the problems outside of school…

"Norio-kun, may I have a word with you?"

Startled, he turned around, seeing his teacher still kneeling in the same place. He nodded and took a seat across from him.

"What is it that you fight for?" asked Yukimaru.

"What…what do you mean?"

"Your technique is very sloppy and has several openings that could have been easily detected had Takao been more experienced."

The youth gritted his teeth. _Of course_ the samurai wanted to ridicule his abilities just like the others…

"_However…_"the teacher continued, to the surprise of his apprentice._ "_I have never seen someone so young fight with such meaning. Soon, you will surpass your peers that all look down upon you. But because of that, they will begin to fear you. In the end, you will still find yourself alone…just like I had once been as a dojo student. But_ you_ have a reason, unlike my younger self."

_Surpass his peers?_ He _did_ study incredibly hard, not wasting a moment for anything else besides to become more knowledgeable on bushido…but…he didn't think that was even possible. Then again, just like his master stated, he possessed a purpose that none could get in the way of.

"…I…I fight to protect my family."

"You have a strong sense of duty." Yukimaru remarked.

"Well, it seems like if I don't, no one will."

* * *

><p>"<em>I owe him my life!"<em>

"_You have a strong sense of duty." he says, as the two run through the narrow trail in the mountain forest._

_Determined, the girl presses on, her brow furling in a seriousness he very rarely had a chance to witness. "When a sense of duty goes out of style, the world will be a dark place!"_

* * *

><p><em>She'd been a clumsy bright eyed girl a little over Norio's age, with an unwavering resolve, who did not fear sinners, but endeavored to change them. She was the only lord of which he'd devoted his life to, who possessed gentleness much like the wind.<em>

"All I ever wanted to do was protect them… But I just… I can't do anything like how I am now! So I need to become stronger to take care of my younger brother. And to honor my parents!" said the boy passionately.

"Honor them?"

…He'd said a bit too much…

"M-my parents are both children of noble samurai! My father uh…is even distantly related to the Asano clan in fact! And if I don't become a well-known samurai, they'd be disappointed! That's why they're paying for my tuition here." It was silent for at least a minute…and the nervous boy began to fidget, head hanging low.

His calm teacher stared keenly at the unnaturally discolored mark on the boy's left cheek. "…That bruise on your face is fresh."

Immediately, Norio's head shot back up.

"But it is not from the students today. …They caught you didn't they: the shop owners that you'd stolen money and clothes from… They couldn't arrest you since you are so young. So they beat you instead."

_He knew. All along, he knew…_

"A peasant cannot_ become_ a samurai… That is how our social system works. So why is it that you attend this dojo under false pretenses?"

By then, Norio just wanted to run away, out of the dojo, back down the hill, curled up in a lost corner of this evil world that suffocated him more each day… To be gone from anyone's sight. _Be done with it_; let the studies of the sword be a mistake—a pipe dream—that he should've known would amount to nothing.

When he failed to provide an answer, Master Hojo nodded in understanding. "Everyone has something they wish to not share. To protect those I care about…I too divulged little on the two people in my story. Do not feel obligated to tell me."

His pure sincerity, Norio realized, did not contain an ounce of judgment_. …_Suddenly, Norio felt stupid, so caught up in the anger of the past. He'd been horribly mistaken to think all samurai were the same; they were people just like anyone else. Good and bad was just a perspective that existed in everyone, and each individual held their own beliefs and moral codes. And Hojo Yukimaru…he was an individual far more different than anyone he'd ever had the honor to meet. Because of that, Norio's muscles and compressed face relaxed…for he felt comfortable with revealing his story to the man. Unlike what everyone had given before, there wouldn't be persecution for the path he chose to lead.

So…Norio began.

"It's just me and my little brother, Mirai. He's a good kid too, and I just wish I could be there for him more. He's only eight, and he's never met our mother. You see, she died giving birth to Mirai. After that, my father raised us both by himself."

Quivering inhales grew labored as memories returned that no matter how many times had been blocked out, only flooded back in.

"Last year…we were trying to pass through a checkpoint. We had our passports and everything, and everyone else was getting through just fine. But several of the samurai came over, demanding that my father pay a high tax since we were carrying a lot of luggage. He only had money to save for food and lodging for the next month, and he was hoping to start fresh outside of Hiroshima. …But they wouldn't have any excuse. He started to argue with them, saying he wouldn't, saying that what kind of samurai would demand money from a poor father? And they just…" While Yukimaru's stare did not remove from the boy, Norio tightly closed his eyes before continuing on. "They just started…_beating him_. Everyone knows that a mere peasant can't disrespect a samurai if they want to keep their life. …I can still remember how my little brother was crying and falling by his body. But me…I just stood there. Like I couldn't even move. Couldn't speak. …Couldn't even cry when I realized they'd beat him to death. It all felt like it just wasn't _real_… After that, he didn't have much of an inheritance to leave behind, just the few ryo on him that the samurai didn't bother to scavenge for. So, I used the last of that to pay for katana, and a place to stay… But it's already dried up. Every day I walk hours to get here from Hiroshima. Because of that, I don't have enough time for a job to get money for the schooling here. So, I had to steal to get food for my brother and I, and to pay for learning kenjutsu."

"That's why I…" he clenched his fists on his lap. "That's why I _need _to become a samurai! I could protect my brother and have money to provide for us. But…I _hate _samurai! They've never done any good for my brother and I. They just look down on us. And I want to prove them wrong, that even _I_ could be something…"

"Hmm…"

Again, the echo of the bamboo sozu hitting a rock passed into the dojo through the thin shoji doors. Master Hojo's eyebrow had twitched, and his eyes squinted to beady lines.

The boy lowered his hands to the floor and bowed his head apologetically. "…I'm sorry. What I've done was dishonorable. I would shame my whole family if they knew how I was getting money… And I've also been rude to you all this time, Hojo-shishou. Forgive me."

But Norio had misinterpreted the reason for his teacher's discontent. Carefully, he raised his gaze from the floor, and saw with astonishment that the man's eyes had been peeled free of coldness, and replaced with a sense of warming sympathy.

"You were put in a situation that was troublesome already. That is not your fault." Yukimaru stood first. "If you wish to become a samurai despite being born a peasant…a legal way I know of is being adopted by a samurai… With that thought in mind, there's someone I believe you should talk to."

* * *

><p>Down the seemingly endless wood paneled halls, they passed room after room, many of which appeared to be incredibly dusty. After all, the school for the study of the martial arts appeared to be fairly large. It was a curious mystery how such a young samurai could afford a place like this. And from what it seemed, the master and his alleged wife lived alone. Sometimes when Norio had arrived particularly early, he'd seen the teacher on his hands and knees, pushing a wet rag forward along the floors and porches. The regal samurai in such a humble state, cleaning his own home, had made some of the other students laugh. Unlike them, Norio held a hidden admiration that the master didn't depend on servants or maids. Still, it seemed like far too much work for two individuals to handle alone—now being one, as his wife appeared to be pregnant.<p>

In silence, the pair continued walking, until a sweet fragrance wafted in from one such room. This smell unearthed a distant nostalgia of the small kitchen at home—the home that no longer existed—back when his parents were both still alive… Soft humming came from the same direction as the scent. In front of a stove positioned atop an oven filled with burning logs, the woman who'd tried to stop the fight outside seemed to be stirring a large pot of soup. She brought a ladle to her lips, took a taste, and then began mumbling about how the dashi broth definitely needed a touch more soy sauce and a handful of kelp flakes sprinkled in.

"I believe you've met my fiancé before, correct?"

Norio nodded, though he'd always assumed the two had already married.

At the sound of his voice, the dark haired mistress of the dojo rotated. She looked to her soon to be husband and then the much shorter orphan beside him. "Oh! You are that wonderful boy who helped me with the rock garden! How is your brother doing?"

"Hello again, Shino-san. And my brother is doing well. He said he'd like to meet you." Norio proceeded to lower his head in a ceremonial bow.

Shino approached, placing hands on the boy's shoulders to raise his rigid posture. "No, please, Norio-kun. There is no need to be so formal."

"Norio told me today that he is not of samurai class, but still wishes to pursue the path of a warrior. I'd imagine, if he was brought up by a samurai, he would be legally deemed as one. It also appears he needs a place to stay, and a job."

"Huh?" the boy shook his head, raising hands against his chest. "Shi-shishou, that isn't necessary. I mean…I…"

"Well, we have plenty of extra bedrooms. He and his brother could stay in one of them couldn't they, Jin?"

How the conversation had veered! It took him a moment to process what the man and woman had offered. Something else had made his brain hurt too… For upon hearing the name "Jin" coming from Shino's mouth, the stoic samurai seemed _completely_ unfazed by the usage of that unfamiliar name.

"…_Jin? _Isn't your first name…Yukimaru?"

"Can I trust you, Norio-kun?"

"That's up to you to determine, shishou. Anyone can say they are trustworthy, and turn out not to be. People don't always keep their word. They can only prove themselves through their actions."

He'd given quite a fine answer, revealing an unforeseen sincerity. Hojo Yukimaru—at least, that's how everyone_ knew_ him—began to chuckle; truly a strange noise that few heard, causing the boy before him to tilt his head in wonder. After looking to his fiance for approval, she nodded and gently smiled.

"Please excuse my dishonesty. Like I said before…I divulge little in order to protect myself and those I care about…"

From within the front folds of his blue-gray gi, the man appeared to have retrieved a pair of glasses. He slipped the arms behind his ears, and pushed the lens up the bridge of his nose with an index finger. The spectacled samurai now appeared even nobler than before!

"My real name is Takeda Jin. But I wish you will refrain from calling me that in front of the other students…and…in front of anyone for that matter."

"It's for our safety." Shino added. "I hope you'll understand. In the future we can explain more."

So… all three of them had problems with rules and regulations in some way or another. "I understand. I'll keep this between us then." agreed the child.

"Back to our discussion, you are welcome to stay with us in the dojo if that is what you desire. We can pay you for the chores you help us with as well and give you the free room and tutelage."

"So you're saying you'll…adopt my brother and I?"

"For your goal to becoming a samurai, it can be legally defined as 'adoption'. But you do not have to consider us your parents. I am still your teacher, and you are still my student. And we will just be four people under the same roof. That is, if you would like this arrangement to be made."

All of his hard work and perseverance would pay off… Fate's course would be bent and molded the way he desired it to be, and not cut out by the flawed regulations of society. It didn't seem _real _to the youth. Hardly seemed real at all… "This…" Tears formed within Norio's lightening eyes, and trying hard not to snivel, he barely could choke out the words of immense gratitude. "….This means so much to me. You have no idea…Hojo-shishou."

"Please, 'Jin-san' is fine when my other students aren't around."

"Th-thank you so much, Jin-san! I…I need to tell my brother about this! I'll get my stuff to move in today! I won't disappoint you, I promise!" Again he bowed, expressed yet another "thank you" and ran excitedly from the room so fast that he practically tripped on his own feet.

"Don't be late! The oden stew will be ready in a few hours and I don't want you and your brother to have to eat it cold." added the amused woman in green, giggling into her fist.

Tabi socks slid against the waxed floorboards and straight back into the kitchen. "Oh! Jin-san! One more thing. I… I really want to hear the story about the girl searching for the scent of sunflowers, and her bodyguard that wouldn't admit to growing fond of her. They sound like really interesting people!"

Jin nodded. "Ah."

And then Norio disappeared from the kitchen doorway.

"Well, I guess we will have_ three_ children running around the dojo now." Shino laughed again, gently placing a hand on her belly that had gotten quite large this past month.

"Maybe five…if Mugen and Fuu ever decide to show up."

There was a wistful melancholy in his eyes, Shino noticed, as the quiet male continued to stare at the empty doorway. Even if Jin had meant the comment as a joke to their immaturity, his fiancé knew that deep down…he'd begun to miss those two incredibly. Each day that they had yet to arrive, the more pensive he appeared to get, wondering of their safety, and if they had ever met somewhere along the many twisting roads making up Japan… Perhaps, it was just a foolish, wishful idea to think that the trio could ever be brought together again by fate…

Much to Jin's surprise, the love of his life took hold of his hand, squeezing reassuringly.

"Don't worry dear. Mugen will keep her safe. I'm sure that Fuu is dragging her bodyguard on a journey to find a 'Four-Eyed Samurai' as we speak."

To that, the "Four-Eyed Samurai" seemed to have smiled. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>The way back hadn't at all seemed as long as the way there, since Norio didn't believe he'd ever run so fast in his life. For quite a while, the sky had altered into a colorless expanse. "Mirai! MIRAI! I have great news! Wait until you hear this!"<p>

On the edge of the street in front of the blacksmith's shop, the eight year old sat alone, containing the urge to cry.

"M…Mirai?"

"I tried to stop him from throwing our stuff out."

After staying at the dojo so long talking with Jin and Shino, he'd forgotten… He was supposed to get the money by sunset; else he and his brother were kicked out.

Norio grabbed his sibling's shoulders, forcing him to look up. "Did he hurt you?" Mirai looked away, a hand clasped around his opposite forearm. The older brother pulled the sleeve up on the child's bony arm…finding an inflamed burn mark where the blacksmith must have hit him with a hot tool used for shaping weapons...

"…That…bastard. I'LL KILL HIM!" Like a reflex, he reached for his hip. If perchance the blade was too rusted to slice, he'd bludgeon the man to death. He'd crash that damn door right now, wake that pig up from his sleep, and…and-

He didn't have any swords… Not after this morning… He felt a tug on his arm again. Mirai looked up at him, shaking his head.

_That's right._

Unless he wanted to be imprisoned and never see his brother again, the disgusting bastard couldn't outright be killed… _However_, there could be _one other_ thing to do, a minor crime that wouldn't even be able to be traced back to him if evidence for his interference was nonexistent.

"Wait here… I won't hurt anybody. But just wait here." Obeying worriedly, Mirai waited while Norio crept quietly to the back of the building. Had he already been an adult, fitting through the window would be painstaking, if not impossible. Maybe not hitting a growth spurt wasn't so bad after all…

Inside, an array of katana of various sizes were strewn about the tables and poked out of large wooden crates. These swords were to be shipped back to Kyoto for the magistrate there that had provided the extremely large order. If he didn't fulfill the order on time…then he'd definitely be punished by the crooked regional governor.

Well, Norio would _make sure_ he wouldn't.

For a moment, he listened in the darkness of the forge… The fat man upstairs snored away without a damn care in the world; he could potentially sleep through a tsunami or an earthquake, so Norio had nothing to fret for the time being. Just like the forge master had showed him months prior, he added oil to the logs and lit a flame, heating the kiln to the maximum temperature. As the spare metal liquid was poured out on a tray, the boy reached for the many high quality swords scattered around the area. One by one, he dunked the blades into the hot liquid that had begun to turn to a scorching degree. Eventually the perfect shapes that the blacksmith had worked hundreds of hours to perfect to the finest detail…slowly melted into shapeless, worthless steel. Though they weren't completely melted down since time was scarce, they were practically useless now and would have to be remade from scratch.

And again checking for any sound, the blacksmith still slept through it. Stealthily, the young boy that had been a thief for many months, climbed back through the window without any other trace of his presence. There, he found his brother still loyally waiting, hugging his arms to ward off the cold of the night.

The dojo student stooped down to his brother's height. "…How would you like to eat home-made oden tonight?"

They hadn't had oden since their father was alive.

"I'd really, really love that!"

"And how would you like a place we can call home?"

Mirai's look of surprise came to the surface, though still holding skepticism. "H-home? You mean like…forever?"

Norio laughed, "Not _forever_, but…for as long as we need to stay. Now, you'll have to do your chores and _always_ be really polite. But I know I can trust these people. Mirai, I think life's going to get better for us."

"You mean it this time?"

Filled with an abundance of happy tears, Norio pulled his little brother into the tightest hug he'd ever given. "I promise little bro… Life_ is_ better for us."

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: Be prepared for many references to Japanese culture below… PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT!

**Norio- **"man of principles".

**Mirai-** "future"

**Reference- **the Mujushin Kenjutsu Dojo was a real place active for about seventy years. The last known teacher really _was_ Mariya Enshirou (Jin's master and possible blood relative as they were both direct members of the Takeda samurai clan). Mujushin is sometimes called "sword of no abiding mind" and was known as one of the purest martial arts of that time period. It teaches _not _to follow any lord (going against all samurai) but to "only have swords in one's mind". This makes sense that Jin followed it so closely, and also refused to serve any lord that he didn't feel was "worth dying for". BUT, because of his devotion to this art, he had no real _reason_ to go on besides to further his abilities. He said in **Ep 24** that he was searching for something after leaving the dojo and couldn't find it. By the end of the anime, he _did _find his reason: friends worth giving his life for, going against what he'd been taught. But just like he follows the purest of sword techniques, he must follow the purest of lords (Fuu). (At least, that's what I've come to deduce from research). I want it to make sense that he still is loyal to his pure sword style, unlike Mugen whose is a mix. However, Jin knows that it was NOT Mujushin Kenjutsu that gave him the reason to fight. He had technique and honor from the dojo, but he needed heart and reason. And that was what Fuu and Mugen provided him with.

_In __**Eps 16 and 17**__, Yukimaru (surname Hojo because of samurai crest) was Jin's fellow student, rival and someone he considered like a little brother in the Mujushin Kenjutsu Dojo. Jin killed him and before dying he said "All I wanted to do was be _you_." So, Jin has taken his identity, and is currently giving the façade that he killed "Jin" who was really Yukimaru in the mountains of Okayama. That way, his identity is concealed (Though later on, I'll explain that he isn't fond of taking a dead man's name.) Eventually, I'll explain how Jin got the money to afford a dojo and how he switched his identity. There will DEFINETLY be more with Jin and Shino's relationship too._

**Chanpuru Kenjutsu Dojo**- Chanpuru (the real way of saying "Champloo") is a Ryukyuan word meaning "to mix" or "to hash". Jin named it this instead of rebuilding the Mujushin Dojo to get off the radar of the shogunate and the Mujushin students, and because he wants his pupils to find their own style to follow through. He got the idea for the name because of his friendship with Mugen, who is the embodiment of Chanpuru.

**Shishou-** honorific to refer to someone as "master" or "teacher", though "**sensei**" is more common nowadays. "Shishou" was used in dojos, as well as for someone who perfected an art rather than school teaching. Jin referred to Mariya Enshirou as "shishou".

**Bokuto-** practice swords used to mitigate the fatality of real katana. Bokuto are still deadly if used by trained experts since they're made of solid wood.** Shinai** however are made of bamboo slats and were invented later.

**Sozu Bamboo Water Fountain- **I don't think I gave a good mental picture, so I advise you to look them up. The "clank" noise it makes when the heavy part of the bamboo shoot hits the rock can be found in an unnamed track in **Ep 11** (Shino's episode). It's on YouTube as "Brothel Love". When Jin is walking through the rain, and Shino is forced to have sex with patrons, the jazzy song has sounds of water sloshing and then a "doink" or "clank" noise. And that's typically caused by sozu fountain's draining water, and the bamboo tilting. That's why Jin considers it a sentimental sound. (Hidden Jino feels)

_Let me just say, Jin's THE hardest character to write for me…_ _I think I made him have too much dialogue… My excuse: the journey changed him so he speaks more openly (only to teach rather than chat)? But, in the anime, he did speak a lot (when he DID talk) about Mujushin style, honor, and Japan's state under selfish leaders. His philosophy and honor is very deep rooted, and his vocabulary is vast. But he's so quiet MOST of the time and just…gah. WHY JIN?! WHY?!_

Mugen: *stomach rumbles* Damn, I'm starving…

Fuu: You know, I bet Jin is enjoying a really nice meal right now…with oden, fish cakes with dipping sauce, a big bowl of steamed rice and-

Mugen: *stomach rumbles again* Thanks for rubbin' that in my face, little bitch!

Fuu: Well, at least he probably doesn't have to scrounge up river fish like we're always having to do…

Mugen: At least I know _how_ to fish, unlike his gimp ass!

Fuu: Then go catch and cook some for us if you're starving!

Mugen: Aren't women supposed to do the cooking?!

Fuu: YOU CHAUVINISTIC PIG! *throws rock*

Mugen: O-OI! I'm just sayin' we should be splittin' the manual labor here!

_So what do YOU think of this romance depraved chapter? Favorite, follow, and review your thoughts! Onegai! :3_

_**End of Chapter 28**_


	31. Chapter 29 Ludicrously Lost

_**Chapter 29 Ludicrously Lost**_

{Original Title: The Unspoken Word}

[A/N]: _Shinpai shinaide! I'm FINALLY back to writing Fuugen (sorry Norio and Jin…err Yukimaru)_. _Make sure to look below my review responses for cultural references._

_To __**guest reviewer Caz9**_, _gracias for BOTH superb reviews! You'll definitely be seeing more JinxShino as well as Norio and Mirai. For Japanese culture, I want to provide the anime vibe. Now, if only I could capture hiphop…though I guess that's more visual and audible. (But the next hiphop homage may make you laugh). Oh, this chapter has more Japanese history! ...And fluff will be coming soon. P.S. Followed you on tumblr :)_

_To __**guest reviewer Yasei**__, sorry for the wait! Lots (I mean LOTS) of technical issues, and I finished high school and stuff so...exams. You know...stupid stuff._

_To __**Ms. Briefs **__who disabled Private Messaging, I'm glad you find new chapters captivating XD I've had some improvement since I was thirteen back in 2012, mostly concerning better character analysis. I plan to spend months rewriting EVERYTHING when I possess the time. (Ignore that paragraph in Prologue 1 when I thought I'd have time to revise all my grammatical errors.) As for a beta reader, I want to wait until after it's finished, since this whole time it's been a solo effort. But that's a huge honor for you to volunteer. On that note, after I do my own revisions, I might need help :3 If you'd like to PM more on this topic, please enable Private Messaging. Thanks for offering and reviewing!_

_To _**guest reviewer dissolved-grrl**, _I remember you! You're platanos-fritos/obsidian butterfly/ bio-mechanic! You're the whole reason I made a tumblr after I found a link to my fanfiction that you posted on the fuugen tag. Thanks to you, I got to spread my fuugen feels to all. Happy to see you've kept reading, gave me the support, and still consider this samcham story your fav XD_

_To _**waistedyouth** _who disabled Private Messaging, seriously, I'm blushing, at that. Really, it means the world to me. Their relationship will continue to move slowly as they tackle more personal issues one by one. __I guess you'll have to wait and see if their path will lead them to Jin… No spoilers :P Thank you for these compliments I do not deserve and sorry for not updating sooner._

To **guest reviewer Helgist**, _I name OCs based on what they symbolize or their purpose, similar to the names of the main characters of Samurai Champloo. And the song you_ _recommended, _**Lions!** _by_ **Lights **_really does fit Fuu, as does the feminine vocals. I especially liked _**"Show me to the shipwreck. Show me how the bones shake. And when I'm at the edge of sorrow's blade, show me how a heart breaks."** _The shipwreck could be when Fuu ran across the beach for Mugen after the ship exploded. Bones shaking are all the times she bandaged his injuries. Sorrow's blade is when she almost witnessed their deaths, and her heart breaking as a result. At least, that's my obsessive fuugen interpretation. Loved the song and your review XD_

_To _**guest reviewer**, _my writing style can be strange since I write what the characters are thinking about. But I want the readers to have that glimpse. I'm relieved you enjoyed the angsty package of this romance. There's still a LOT lacking for my fanfic to be a sequel, but for you, as well as others in the past, to say that makes me jump for joy! Much appreciated!_

_To __**guest reviewer Lexy**__, hey again :D Here's the chapter, FINALLY. ALSO, that idea of them dreaming of each other is very cute. However, I've seen it done before… So, I think I figured out an idea that avoids the cliché and incorporates a Japanese superstition… It'll probably be part of a future chapter if I can manage to figure out how to write it. _

_PHEW. Now then, pertaining to the chapter:_

**IMPORTANT Setting Reference**: Look up **Mt. Koya **and** Okunoin Graveyard **on Google Images! Beautiful! Mt. Koya is not actually one mountain. It's several in the Wakayama Prefecture (previously the Kii Province) of Japan and also headquarters to the Shingon Buddhism sect. More info within.

**Reference-** During the Shimabara Rebellion, some cryptic Christians retaliated by desecrating other religious structures: destroying Shinto tora gates and cutting off the heads of Buddhist statues. This was probably one of the reasons government regulation became so severe, to the point where Christians were publicly executed.

**Japanese pun**- "Kumo" is a homophone that can mean "cloud" or "spider".

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo etc. Even if I can't own it, I can still go to the real places they visited in the anime and in my story! Breaking the fourth wall for the win!

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>Chapter 29 Ludicrously Lost<strong>_

She couldn't do it. She just _couldn't_.

On the verge of collapsing, the brunette hunched forward, leaning her palms on knees that'd begun to cave into each other.

_Not another step_.

Up ahead, the geta wearing traveler waltzed onward, lacking even the subtlest sign of fatigue and unknowingly left behind the _beyond_ exhausted girl. Only after hearing a high pitched yell did his stilted strides cease.

"This is all_ YOUR_ fault!"

Turning back with a questioning "Hah?", Mugen found that the weakened young woman looked ready to collapse on their grassy footpath deep within the mountain forest at the highest peak of daylight.

"IT WAS _YOUR_ IDEA TO TAKE ANOTHER SHORTCUT! NOW WE'RE COMPLETELY LOST, YOU IDIOT!"

His eyes rolled in response to the typical complaint…at first... All the whining slowly died away. Fuu's voice distorted into an awful, rasping cough; her hand that had once been gripping tightly around a knee suddenly flew to clutch at her mouth in an attempt to subdue the sound.

Mugen eyed her strangely, for the whole morning had been marked with a series of similar coughing fits such as this.

Any building concern over that easily vanished though…since he found an even deadlier glare aimed toward him after the hacking came to an eventual end. If they _were _stuck in the sticks—which they _most definitely_ were—he both refused to admit of the dilemma or take the blame for that same event. He had a great sense of direction! Just…not as great as Jin's.

"We ain't lost!"

Unconvinced, she pointed to their right "Yes_ we are_! We've passed these same statues at least _ten times_ already!"

Upon the tree flanked corridor sat a row of stone men. Definitely of Buddhist origin: they were called Jizo, the enlightened beings of mercy. They'd been neatly arranged at the start of another path veering farther and higher into the depths of the mountain thicket. As the Jizo now stood, weathered and cracked, someone must have taken a katana to these ornate holy sculptures too... It was strange. Each of the short figures had their heads sliced clean off. Every time they'd passed them, Fuu speculated on what reason could bring a person to_ do_ such a thing. Sure, sloppily painted graffiti tags were not an uncommon sight in the bigger cities they'd passed through…but beheading a Buddhist effigy seemed a far more disrespectful form of vandalism.

From beside the trail, the unmoving bosatsu statues watched the travelers go by and come back again and again with their hollow stone eyes. Fuu, after the fourth time, found they'd been repeatedly passing by the _exact…same…landmark…_

"…Okay, so maybe we're a_ little_ lost." Mugen stuck a pinky into an ear, digging for wax. Instantly Fuu expressed disgust with another groan.

"There is no _little or a lot_! Lost is lost!"

"We'd be pretty much lost anyway! I can't believe you're taking that queer samurai's advice that Four-Eyes is all the way in frickin' Hiroshima!"

To dare mention the dead assassin so rudely really_ ticked _her off, especially after all that had transpired in the Ise province. She couldn't believe he'd bring it up so coldly. "You're unbelievable! Inuyama didn't seem like a liar, and he really sounded like he wanted to challenge Jin. Besides, I'm surprised we haven't thought of going to a dojo sooner! Jin was always talking about "the art of swordsmanship"…whenever he _talked_ that is."

"I still ain't buyin' that he owns a dojo though. I mean,_ c'mon_, we were always broke looking for your sunflower samurai."

"Because of _your_ brothel habit!" she accused yet again from where not an inch of movement had been made to budge from the trail. Instead, the infuriating brat chose to squat down and pout.

"Bullshit! It's 'cause you eat so goddamn much!"

Time went forward—as did they on this arduous journey. Weeks had passed after the grave incidences with Inuyama and Obaasan. Spring was right around the corner. In this particular area, many miles south of Osaka, all the snow had already melted, replaced by enumerate leaves and the brave saplings of wild flowers. Everything just looked so _green_, an unexpected sight after the winter that'd come swiftly and gone swifter.

The temperature rose so much that the pair frequently slept outside, finding hollows in some of the colossal trees and fallen logs dotting the mountainous, sub tropic region of the Kii Province.

…These sleeping arrangements had been quite unsettling for the female: having to rest in a cramped dead tree right beside the male of her—recently realized, and unrequited—affection… It grew to be such a troubling issue that, some nights, Fuu swore she hadn't caught a wink of sleep.

When counting stars—like her mother had instructed—proved futile in exhausting her, she would silently watch him, half marveling how at peace the wild male could be, half envious that she wasn't able to attain this same level of rest.

Mugen had never known of this, of course. But that didn't mean he failed to notice other things.

Much like the seasons, the seventeen year old girl had gone through a transition. After it got warmer, the once regretful Fuu adjusted back to being normal and lively, neglecting to discuss fatally injuring the samurai, and leaving her only family blood back east. Of course, Mugen was more than well aware that she _hadn't _forgotten—not in the slightest—but for now intended to put those thoughts on a faraway shelf.

More or less, the waitress returned to her whiny, complaining, _arguing_ self… Despite being exasperated, he felt a relief for that. As it turned out, a crying woman proved far more unnerving than a whining one.

Speaking of which, Fuu_ still _hadn't stopped dishing out complaints about their recent development. Regardless, he'd attempted to ignore her gripes by setting his sights to the paths onward. All the trails looked pretty much the same and led right on back to the line of Buddhist statues.

They sure as _hell _were lost. And they'd been warned at the foot of Mt. Koya that cutting through may not be the best course of action for those intending to get to the next city. Getting lost hadn't even been their concern. At least…not at the time. Rather, it had been the rumor of _demons_ roaming the hills that had deeply wearied Fuu and contrastingly hungered Mugen's curiosity.

It'd been five days—_four nights of sleeping in filthy knolls and scratchy trunks together_—since that familiar rapping trio came by and warned them…

* * *

><p>"<em>Excuse me miss, but if you're trying to get to Osaka, the mountain pass is a way. But I don't exactly recommend it right now." says a woman happening upon the pair who squabble over cutting through the hills that gain surmountable height.<em>

"_Why is that?"_

"_Well, it gets quite dark in those woods…and there aren't any tour guides willing to take people through." Briefly, the female turns to the tall trees. "You see, there are rumors of malicious spirits… Even some of the monks of Mt. Koya have fled for fear that the temples will be attacked…" Soon after, the skittish lady left._

"_Malicious spirits? Tch, what a crock!"_

_Fuu on the other hand, doesn't like the sound of that. She'd already had a run in with a ghost back in the summer and didn't plan for another haunting night…_

"_Huh! The yokai pair must be the reasons fo' the rumahs!"_

_Startled, Fuu and Mugen turn around, to see three men in a line, all pointing a finger their way. Each man in the trio is dressed in a different color, though all carry matching wooden crates upon their right shoulders._

"YO!"_ they voice in harmony._

_Suddenly, the man in blue with a white headband begins talking in a strange way. His fast words move to an inaudible rhythm… "They say somethin's livin' up in those tall ass hills! Givin' even the toughest mofos the damndest chills. Caaaaaaauseeee,"_

"_It's gotta be some demons!" verbalizes the entire trio. _

"_Yeah boy."_

_They snap their fingers, and clomp their feet as they approach and surround the dumbfounded pair. Each of the men begin taking on the conversation in succession without missing a beat! _

"_HAH! There's a real sexy lady dancin' in the mountain. Trim waist, fine face, she's got a voice like a goze, and a body like a geisha." the one in burgundy red chants, while his two musical cohorts whoop twice._

"_Works her hands so quick on the lute she's touchin' that ya wish it was _your flute _she be strummin'."_

_This has Mugen's interest fully piqued. "Hah?"_

"_But you better watch your gonads when ya with ha', 'cause she's the spider Jorogumo trying to eat ya fo' her dinnah!"_

"_For real, yo!"_

_Next, the oldest in yellow kicks off with his rap. "And dat old man up there, takin' virgin's to his lair… Shiiit. Fat nosed geezer ain't wantin' nuttin' chaste the way he's all up in yah face!"_

_Just the thought of a creepy old rapist chills Fuu greatly. "Eh?!"_

"_Make no mistake, he's the daitengu imp in disguise, plannin' ta' make the bitches his personal prize!" _

"_Yeah plaaaaay it!" sings another._

"_If a homegirl knows what 'sup, she might wanna close her legs 'fore venturin' up. Catch ma' drift, lil' lady?"_

"_Best ta' watch ya asses when you're looking fo' the man with the glasses, yo…"_

_Wait…how do these peculiar guys even know they're looking for a man with glasses? And why do they look so familiar; especially the form of which they speak? Befuddled completely, Fuu merely gawks while the musical trio back away, bouncing every step to their imaginary beat in flawless unison._

"_But there's no need ta' bust a tumah 'cause it's nothin' but a rumah!"_

_They all give a thumbs up, "Word." _

_And then the awfully memorable traveling band bounce off in time with one another, continuing to snap their fingers as they went._

"_What the heck was that all about? Haven't we seen them before?" Such a severe case of déjà vu… "…More importantly, remember last time we thought there were demons and Yoshitsune's ghost in the mountains? It was just Jin's fellow student, Yukimaru and that man from Hokkaido, Okuru!" _

_On the other hand, the swordsman in crimson seems to be genuinely curious on this tale of two demons. "Don't know… Sounds kinda interesting to me."_

"_We have to get to Osaka, remember?!"_

"_Well, we can cut through the mountain. It'll be a shortcut. Trust me."_

* * *

><p>She <em>shouldn't<em> have trusted him back there.

Asking for directions was waaaaay out of the question. So far they'd come across zero demons…and just as many humans.

"Ahhhh mouuuuu! I swear, I can't take another step…"

"Quit blubberin' like a_ baby_. And don't be expectin' _me_ to carry your ass!" As he rotated to take in a better look of the surrounding layout, he inhaled a faint scent carried along in the breeze, reminiscent of the earthy soil beneath their feet. He looked back to Fuu, "Oi, might wanna get movin'. I can smell it…in the wind. Storm's comin' tonight. It's gonna be the first rain of the year."

'_So that's how he always can predict the weather…'_ After being caught in a downpour in the summer, she knew better not to question a former pirate's intuition on the subject. Even she could feel the humidity beginning to set in, and smell that almost indescribable breeze that carried a mix of musky dirt and morning dew.

Be it spring or not, a rain shower would make for unbearable sleeping conditions—even for people like them who were used to camping out in the middle of nowhere. They needed some _real _shelter for once.

Fuu finally made an effort to get up. She weakly yanked on Mugen's sleeve and pointed out the start of the path by the headless figures; the only path they hadn't taken. "If we're lucky, there's a monastery nearby. Come on. This way."

Just once, she glanced back to the peculiar headless statues as he pulled away and called for her to pick up the pace lest she be left behind.

* * *

><p>In these ancient mountains, the land was uncultivated, showing little evidence of human activity besides the Jizo statues and gently trodden trails cutting though. Trees of remarkable size grew to be well aged and preserved, reaching so high up that the sky overhead was concealed by the emerald sheet of leaves.<p>

Fat roots jutted from the dirt, over encumbering the exhausted girl who'd already tripped over_ several_. On the contrary, Mugen had moved forward with ease, the teeth of his clogs traipsing over the rough terrain without any difficulty.

Though...as relaxed as he appeared, once every so often during their stroll, he grasped the hilt of his claymore.

Absent to Fuu's knowledge, the reason for reaching to the sword handle had_ nothing_ to do with preparations for an adversary (or demon) hidden somewhere in the foliage. In reality, the jade magatama bead—given to him by Fuu for his "birthday"—was still tied on the hilt by a _ripped _leather strap. After fighting Inuyama, it'd been cut right off the handle. Not yet had he gotten around to getting a new strip of which to wrap the crescent shaped good luck charm… He'd been oddly...paranoid that it may have fallen somewhere.

And for good reason.

With each step, the loose knot slipped down the ridges in the brass handle.

Eventually the winding path densely compacted by vegetation decreased in its ongoing elevation. The once jaded duo made it to a flight of incredibly large steps accompanied by more perpetually still Buddhist figures leading along it. Perchance, a temple _was_ located nearby…

After tiresomely climbing the wide slabs of rock, they made it to the hill's summit, meeting a surprising sight neither had expected.

Tomb stones and mausoleums filled up the area as far as the human eye could see.

Reinvigorated, the woman in pink skipped forward along the stone tiled pathway leading into the cemetery with unconstrained glee.

This _totally_ confused the ex-criminal that she didn't get freaked out about the graves of so many dead laid to rest, and instead frolicked about after complaining so damn much earlier. "I thought you were too tired to take another step. …You little flake." quipped her companion with slight disdain.

"I never thought we'd wind up here! This is Okunoin: the biggest graveyard in all of Japan! Did you know that Kukai was entombed here in the 800s? He's the monk who founded Shingon Buddhism. This is like a _huge_ tourist sight for any aspiring Buddhist!" After speaking so rapidly, another bizarre cough surfaced from her mouth.

_His _concerns remained on other matters, however. "…So you got an idea how to get to Osaka now?"

"Eh? Umm…no. Not really."

"Tch… Shows how useful_ your_ information is."

"Hey, _I_ happen to find it very interesting! And besides, I was right that there has to be a temple nearby. Mt. Koya is the home of tons of temples. And since Okunoin is an important cultural artifact, there has to be some monks that are the caretakers. I heard they believe that Kukai is still alive, and is eternally meditating while he waits for the coming of the next Buddha. They're so dedicated to this place, that they even bring offerings to Kukai's tomb." Whereas Fuu kept on talking, her moping companion again took the lead. "Aren't you even the _slightest_ bit interested?"

"Give me a_ reason_ _ta' be_ interested and I will be."

Huffing, Fuu regained her position close behind and redirected attention to the many graves whose kanji and hiragana inscriptions had been worn away by time long past. Some of these monuments had even shifted lopsidedly from the roots rising beneath them. While every headstone had been built a different size and shape, most had globs of moss and other fungal growths clinging to the sanded rock.

Remnants of sunlight trickled into the graveyard in thin streams, largely because of the leafy trees standing firm among the numerous tombs. And the farther they went, the more the overlapping graves suffocated the little shingled paths made for visitors to access the different sectors.

Despite Okunoin being a holy burial ground for pilgrims, no tourists currently inhabited it. Besides the occasional breeze or chatter of hidden insects, it'd been a peaceful type of quiet through their entire venture. …No one else showed up probably because of the encroaching storm and lack of tour guides.

Then of course, there'd been the rumor of demons spreading around…

A female spider demon who seduced men before devouring them was a lot less scary to Fuu than a daitengu rapist… Obviously a Jorogumo would target Mugen: knowing what a complete _idiot _he was, he'd trust _any_ woman with big hooters…

'_This place is so peaceful but...those rumors of demons in the mountains? Creepy…'_ Shivering, Fuu armed herself with the pink tanto with white blossoms painted on the surface. Upon the knife's red string, hung the dice, the cat charm beside its dog counterpart, and finally, the Christian skull. Each charm had been gifted by a different relative, Fuu reminisced fondly.

So absorbed, she failed to notice Mugen come to an abrupt stop until the tip of her nose crashed into the ex-pirate's taut upper back.

"We're being watched." There was both caution…and as she listened carefully, the faintest hint of interest in the observation that'd come out as a rasp.

That's when Fuu too caught sight of movement…

_A shadow scurried from behind a tall headstone and dived to the shelter of nearby tree trunk._

Her fingers squeezed on the chipped lacquer surface of the dagger even tighter. For a moment, her weary filled glance found Mugen, whose lips contained a strangely _zealous_ grin.

Seconds ticked away.

And when Fuu thought she'd never again witness movement from at the rear of the tree…

...it appeared.

_It _dashed toward them at a speed so fast that they could not fully perceive what _it_ was. Not at first anyway.

In spite of the swiftness of which it sprinted at the startled travelers, they_ both _caught a fleeting glimpse of that _hideous _image; there was no mistaking it.

The bi-pedal being's grotesque red face held a freakishly large scowl brimming with jagged fangs. Horns that could only be _demonic_ protruded out of the skin on its forehead.

Fuu shrieked and fell back on the pavement.

"Guess I'll be doin' some demon huntin' AFTER ALL!" Sword already drawn, and amused grin spreading wider, Mugen without hesitation, went in for the first swing.

After Fuu recovered from falling, her head perked up at the trademark metallic echo of blade against blade. His attack had not met its mark and turned out to have been blocked by an extremely long spear the demonic being carried in hand. On the end, a finely sharpened tip had been attached to the wood by thick rope.

…Its hands that held the wooden portion of the pole...were strikingly _human _in appearance...

After knocking away the great sword with a forward thrust of the naginata spear, the scowling demon cautiously backed into a pool of light vacant of the tree shade overhead.

That's when the pair realized…this wasn't some supernatural monster of the night at all. Quite the contrary. All that had shown aggression to their presence was a person wearing a mask… What a creepy sculpt it was! From what Fuu knew, the stage mask resembled a hannya demon belonging to Noh theatre. Supposedly it'd been invented and introduced to the showings by a monk.

The thought of a "monk" caused Fuu to backtrack even more...

Sure enough, the spear wielding warrior wore enormous prayer beads around the neck, and donned a traditional violet and golden garb: the telltale appearance of a Japanese Buddhist monk.

"Demon my ass, you ain't nothin' but human... And from what I know, humans can _bleed_." Actually, Mugen was kind of disappointed. Much to their surprise, the supposed monk backed even farther away, attempting to flee into the seclusion among the graves. Mugen however, would not allow for this departure and soon was slashing at the defensive man in crazed bliss. "Thought you can just start a fight and run from me? Uh-uh buddy. We ain't finished here!" Human, demon, priest or killer; it made no difference to the ex-criminal. A fight was a fight, and he'd been itching for a worthy scuffle for too damn long.

So when the instigator got away, the ex-criminal gave chase like a rabid dog going after a wagon, leaping over grave after grave, slipping on the smooth rock tiles, taking a sharp left and then two even sharper rights in order to catch up.

"Mugen, hold on!" Fuu finally stood back up after falling, brushing the grimy dirt and leaves away before she too ran after them.

It didn't take very long to corner the pseudo demon against another tomb. In response to this, he obliged the challenge. The lengthy spear thrashed from one side of the speedy vagrant to another. He swung high, causing Mugen to duck low and roll back to the safety of an old headstone. Even though the attacks were quick and precise, the ex-criminal could not help feeling that the bastard was going easy on him...especially since the naginata had the advantage of a longer reach.

Again, Mugen leaped forward and swung.

The masked man's quick steps only matched his own. He foiled what would have been devastating blow to the leg just as smoothly. He then put the spear in both hands, and poked the sharp end his way, never actually coming close to making contact. It appeared he was herding Mugen away...

Frustrated, the hotheaded ryukyuan sidestepped, and his claymore cut into the wooden end of the pole aimed at him, right below where the metal separated from the wood. This caused the entire naginata's edge to fly clean off, rattling against another nearby headstone.

Momentarily, the man turned to the tip that'd once been attached to the now broken spear despairingly. And, caught off guard, he barely managed to avoid more spinning movements coming from Mugen. Even without a sufficient blade, he stabbed around the nonlethal spear, still seeming like he was trying to usher him back into the direction of the graveyard's entrance.

He'd fought long enough to know when someone was holding back. "The hell's your problem?! Fight like you mean it!"

With one cut, the bladeless pole cracked in half, rendering it fully useless.

Using this opportunity, Mugen's sword descended vertically, aiming for the top of his opponent's head.

In the knick of the time, the mysterious figure dropped the severed halves of the broken weapon and caught the European sword in between two hands just as the steel slightly imbedded into the surface of the finely crafted wooden mask.

"…Damn, you're pretty good."

"WAIT! Don't you see?! He's a monk!"

...Just like Fuu to ruin the moment.

Any lasting pressure soon disappeared as he retracted the claymore back, though the vagrant groaned between two deep inhales at having to cut this duel short as it'd finally begun to get interesting. They backed away from each other.

"Please, Hoshi-sama, we didn't wish to disturb you, We were just passing through the mountain. We meant no harm." She bowed as formally as her mother had taught her as a child whenever she'd done something wrong.

A brief moment passed between the three. Mugen crossed both arms, tapping a clog on the tiles, while Fuu never looked up from the ground.

Slowly, the mysterious fighter removed his mask after hearing the unforeseen honesty in the female, who appeared far gentler than the male counterpart in red.

What they found…wasn't just any normal man…

He was _old_. Even his deep age lines possessed less noticeable wrinkles forking off and into different directions. As was typical of most monks, his head had been shaved down to the bare minimum, and the only hair he possessed on the face was a small white beard. The most startling discovery however, was the large scar running down the right side of his leathery face. The unattractive line cut right across a bushy white eyebrow and the equally white opal that lacked an iris below it. A single ghost eye...

Surprised, the ex-pirate reached behind him, returning his claymore to its rightful scabbard. "You're pretty damn spry for an old bastard. And the fuck's your problem anyway?! Why'd ya attack us?"

Still no answer.

Mugen turned to Fuu, jabbing a thumb in the old man's direction, "The hell's wrong with 'im? Is he mental or somethin'?"

The comment went ignored, as she brushed aside the uncouth brawler. "Umm…you see, we're just travelers. We'd gotten rather lost and a rainstorm is coming… So, we were wondering if there was anywhere that we could stay… If not, we'll be on our way."

His crumpled gaze found hers, but his attention then focused on the blade in her hands and the charms suspended from it. Particulary…the skull.

The monk nodded once. He outstretched his worn hands, one towards the feeble knife and the other to the much more deadly claymore the male had attached to the back.

"You…want us to give up our weapons in exchange for a place to stay?" Fuu asked.

Earlier than the monk could give another nod, Mugen already expressed a heated protest. "Hell no!"

Persistently, Fuu tugged on the reluctant vagrant's sleeve. "Come on! It'll only be temporary… Don't you realize this is a _holy place? _Monks don't want violence."

"Oh_ right_! The one who attacks_ us _with a frickin' spear doesn't want violence. What a load a' shit_ that_ is!"

"_Please_. You said a storm is coming." …And with her words, came that uncontrollable cough again.

Mugen's brow tensed...

"If it were ol' Four-Eyes…you'd be havin' a helluva lot harder time trying to pry katana from that stingy bastard." Not without reluctance—and a bunch of swears, of course—he removed the heavy steel sword, along with the leather sheathe and buckle hung over the shoulder. He'd be stupid to allow this stranger to confiscate the red tanto that used to be attached to the old tsurugi sword. Ever since Fuu returned his tanto back in the Fall after meeting Yatsuha, he concealed it well in his haori jacket, and intended to keep it out of the knowledge of everyone.

He locked stares with the monk. "Word's goin' around that there's a daitengu kidnappin' girls in the mountains. …If you come near her, I won't think twice about killin' you with my bare hands."

That had the girl beside him blushing and turning away.

While Fuu preoccupied herself with taking in the atmosphere of the graveyard, Mugen inconspicuously pried the knot on the claymore handle loose to unravel the string. Along with its broken strap, the magatama bead was shoved deep into a pocket. The Buddhist priest eyed him strangely—noticing how he hadn't wanted the female to see— and he in return shot another cringe worthy glare.

Just as the magatama was out of sight was the moment when Fuu looked back. She saw the claymore, saw the good luck charm she'd given him gone too... '_He…he lost it?' _She should've anticipated his inability to take care of something that had no use besides to provide a sense of sentimentality. In fact, she couldn't even remember seeing it on his claymore recently at all. _'How long had it been gone for?'_

Mugen finally took notice how she was frowning at him. "What?"

"Nothing, forget it."

When the silent monk skulked off, their weapons in each hand, the travelers were given little choice but to follow.

"What the fuck? This guy is more tight lipped than that Four-Eyed bastard… What's he got, a stick up 'is ass?!"

"You know…just because he doesn't speak doesn't mean he's deaf! Be more considerate!" she whispered harshly, whilst stabbing her bodyguard right in the ribs with an elbow. "Maybe he's under a vow of silence. Monks do that for meditation purposes, you know. Not like you _care_."

"Ey, I've meditated before!"

"_Really_. Interrogating a monk about how to kill a street killer on our last journey _does not_ count as meditation, Mugen."

Oh yeah... he did remember that, back when they stayed at a convenient temple in exchange for chores. Not only did he get the good fortune of being able to a survive an aggresive encounter with the street killer Shoryu, he also managed to gain the bounty for the group as a nice bonus.

"Feh. _Whatever_."

During their whispered exchange, the monk had raised Fuu's tanto up, peering almost...wearily at the Christian skull charm, searching for that one little secret within its eye.

The girl saw this, and was met with a better sense of understanding. "…I think I get why he attacked us."

"Hn?"

"Do you remember those decapitated statues earlier? Well…during the Shimabara Rebellion, Christians were destroying Buddhist monuments… This monk must be the guardian of this graveyard. He probably thought we came here to desecrate more things after seeing the skull on my tanto. It was a trinket given out in Nagasaki. If you look in its eye, you'll see the Cross of Golgotha...a Christian symbol. Golgotha was the place where the savior of Christian belief was executed on a cross."

Somewhere in between he first few words, Mugen lost interest in the topic and instead kept his steeled stare on the person walking in front of them. Not once did he let down his guard around the monk despite his age, whom he could not bring himself to trust so easily...especially after experiencing how he'd handled a spear.

"I honestly don't think he was trying to hurt us. When he used the naginata, didn't it seem like he never tried to actually hit you? Maybe the monk was trying to scare us away in order to protect this place. That's why he wore the mask…to scare bad people away. And the rumors of a daitengu was probably just him chasing people off with the mask on."

Fuu began to think more about the single blind eye of the Buddhist monk, and the long scar running through it; it seemed to be caused by the slice of a katana. She'd known that the Shimabara Rebellion took place in the southwest... But perhaps many other areas of Japan began to feel the ripples of civil unrest from the cryptic Christians after the government put them down. A Christian ronin, a man like Fuu's father, could have been the one who inflicted the injury that caused the monk to be half blind.

...The Cross of Golgotha was supposed to represent purity, good will: a symbol that people should be kind to each other. And yet, Christians had went against that belief and hurt others, desecrated monuments of historical value and practically force fed their beliefs onto nonbelievers. So many had died for a religion whose founding principles said to not kill. Even if her father was Christian, the daughter of the sunflower samurai would not justify the outrageous crimes he may have committed in the name of God. Neither would she vouch for the corrupt government who stole the rights of believers.

This monk had every right to try and chase them away after what went on during the Shimabara Rebellion. There was just too much destruction in this world.

* * *

><p>Eventually they arrived at what was to be their sleeping quarters just outside of a massive monastery. Thunder emerged from the distance, first a slow rolling rumble that gradually grew in volume.<p>

Mugen poked a head into what was to be there room. It wasn't the most sizeable hut, but it provided enough space for two along with essentials like a futon, and even a cooking spit. There were three doors: one where Mugen looked into it from the outside, and the second stood on the opposite end of the room. It opened up to a long porch-like hallway built out of even timber planks set side by side. That same outdoor walkway led to the main temple structure. The last door was on the left wall and was nothing more than a small closet stocked with spare quilts. Next to that sliding door sat a window with the shutters tightly closed.

"Guess it'll do..."

"Thank you, Hoshi-sama." Remembering her manners quickly, Fuu bowed once more, and hoped Mugen would do the same... Who was she kidding though; Jin nor her had ever witnessed the vagrant do something as formal as bowing.

Shortly after that, the silent monk departed.

As the thunderous rumbles grew closer, and the wind pestered the trees surrounding their abode, the wayfarers made themselves comfortable with what little materials the temple shack contained inside. While Fuu made sure to claim the solitary futon on the right wall, Mugen found a spot that would suffice between the left wall and the cooking spit in the center of the room.

They'd been walking for so long, that she immediately collapsed upon the pliable surface with the most contended sigh, lazily kicking away her heeled sandals that clattered upon the rice matted floor.

She rolled over onto her back, greeting the ceiling above; cracks dotted its gnarled surface that would more than likely cause a rain leakage. Even so, she didn't really pay attention to cosmetic details or problems they'd cause for the structure. Her thoughts were trapped elsewhere, shrouded in the same lasting doubt.

"…Do you really think he's near Hiroshima?" Fuu found herself saying aloud.

From across the room, atop a makeshift bed comprised of his red haori and an incredibly lumpy pillow, the man wearing his white undershirt appeared to have mumbled something. He fully faced the wall with the window.

"Come on, Mugen! I'm asking you a serious question... Why do you keep ignoring me so much?" she berated to his back.

"I ain't ignorin' ya."

It seemed their relationship-or more accurately, their closeness-had somehow digressed.

"You...seem like you're pushing me away lately."

It hadn't gone without notice that lately the ex-criminal began putting back on that false front all over again; the one where he acted remorseless, distant...and even cold sometimes. Across the room, Mugen had never even turned to face her; she began to assume he was dozing off, or still just outright ignoring. Talking to this buffoon's back was even less comforting than talking to an inadamant wall!

...Since he faced away, Fuu could not see his dark eyes had squinted opened just so slightly at the small fact that'd been pointed out.

Not only did the incident in the Ise village play on his thoughts…there were other matters that progressively began to torment his already clouded mind more often than not. And because of these very same thoughts, he'd not acted like himself...more of an asshole than usual. The right words just couldn't be formulated so he turned more quiet than ever.

Other times, Mugen tended to lash out; now was beginning to turn into one such instance.

"I'm helpin' ya find your four-eyed samurai. What the hell_ else_ ya want from me?!"'

"…Nothing. I just…I guess I've just been thinking about a lot of things. That's all." The uncertain traveler flopped back onto the firm mattress, limp arms spread out from one side of the futon and all the way to the other. "Things like…how long is this journey going to take? And what's going to happen when we find him? We've been traveling since the end of summer…and now it's almost spring."

He too had wondered what the approaching "ending" would bring. Though, that didn't mean he enjoyed thinking about the end. What point would worrying serve when they started out in Edo, and they were only halfway between where they started and where they planned to go?

It was funny... Back on their original journey, he'd always said it was none other than the stupidly cheerful sunflower girl who summed up as the biggest problem in his life: she who controlled him by dragging him along to find her father.

...That idea did a complete switch. Over these many months that'd passed, and the struggle that'd come with finding Jin, Mugen had become more and more aware of his growing attachment all too much. And just _as_ much, he couldn't be more aware of how his presence in her life became in itself, a blight... He'd known of this for a while now. Maybe as far back as the ending of their first journey, when she'd been held hostage and...and beaten all so a man from his past could get the proper revenge.

He hated thinking it, and yet it was true.

Fuu spoke up again, her idle words lingering in the room: a fog that refused to clear, "It's like traveling has been ingrained in me… I'm starting to wonder what I'll do by the end."

Mugen knew exactly what _she'd _do when they reached the supposed dojo, while he…he didn't have the slightest clue about the plans for himself.

"You'll finally tell Four-Eyes. …And then the two of ya can do whatever the hell you guys had planned."

"What do you mean?" Somehow, the declaration had flown right over Fuu's head. "…Tell Jin what?"

That had Mugen rotating his head to face her. And seeing her dumbfounded expression, only caused his sneer. He sat up from the floor, leaned his head against the wall, arms interlocked over his chest. "Oh, c'mon broad, you know _damn_ well what I'm talking about. It's the whole reason you're lookin' for him in the first place!"

She mimicked the movements, sat back up from the surface of the futon, leaned against the wall, and crossed both arms as if physically closing off from him as well. "Mugen, I'm being serious. Tell Jin _what_?"

Mugen fucking hated it. Still, she played pretend. If she just _said it_, said how she had feelings for Jin, if she just came clean and candid with the whole damn thing, then maybe everything between them-especially the unsaid things-wouldn't be so damn confusing!

Ever since they'd discovered the knowledge of Jin owning a dojo…something in that really pissed him off to an insanely illogical degree.

For so long the ex-pirate and ronin had battled over who had been the better warrior. Only after the final clash of blades, only after the shatter of steel and their mutual loss had they became equal and accepted it. ...Equal was a complicated word now. Fuu's relationships with the two men, in Mugen's eyes, had never been something so simple as equal.

Especially not anymore. Jin had changed. If he truly owned this rumored dojo, the samurai had taken on the persona of responsibility, changed his life around from that of a wandering, poverty stricken ronin…to a successful teacher of bushido. The ever righteous Jin would most definitely provide for Fuu now, give her the life and everything that came with it that they both knew she rightfully deserved.

While Mugen…he was still the same penniless vagabond. Hadn't changed one damn bit…

The very fact that he was delivering Fuu—like she was all wrapped up in a frilly damn bow—right to Jin's fancy dojo doorstep…it bugged Mugen a lot, far more than it had before.

From across the room, the expectant girl's shiny eyes still pleaded for a response, an answer to remedy the confusion the declaration had carried. But he didn't even know how to grant her that response.

He just stared back, urging himself to look away and yet failed to do so after losing the very function.

It instead, was her who cast a furrowed stare to the blue floral stitching in her kimono. "Something's up with you lately, and if you would just tell me instead of-"

Fuu looked up while midsentence, even more confused to discover that Mugen had never stopped staring.

On closer inspection though...his expression was far different... She was in no way expecting the absolute shock—or horror—on his face. "Ho…ly…shit."

Her brows knitted together into a crumpled line. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Had she said something that hit a nerve that badly?

"Girlie… I_ really _advise ya_ not_ to turn around."

It took a few seconds to realize… he wasn't looking at her at all…rather something just above her head instead.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

A finger pointed to the wall right behind the girl. "There's a-oh fuck, it's a-"

"Tell me!"

"A rain ku…kumo…"

"_Rain cloud?_ Did it already start raining?" Just as always…she didn't listen to him and had already begun to crane her neck

Mugen cringed while awaiting the sure to be screaming.

Fuu assumed to find an open window she'd been unaware of previously. The only window was located on the opposite side of the room… The door they entered in was to the left of her and the other that connected to the temple was on the right.

Nope. Neither window nor door to show to rain clouds had been behind Fuu. Just the wall.

And, _of course_, the giant, eight legged monstrosity clinging to it.

"KUMOOOOOOOOO!"

Far more than hysterical, the girl had somehow managed to to launch all the way from the futon and to his side of the room, messing up his improvised bedspread, and practically landing in his lap. Her tiny fingers madly were clutching at his shoulders, while her eyes followed the creature that began descending down the wooden surface at a tauntingly methodical crawl .

"Oi, get off a' me!" Whether it was the giant fucking arachnid across the room, or _God_ the way she _squirmed_ in his lap, that had him panicking, Mugen didn't have time to properly decipher. That incredibly powerful deathgrip only worsened as the thing inched all the way down to the futon, where it rested on its spindly brown limbs.

The rain (or as Fuu had always known it as, the huntsman) spider was easily larger than the size of an adult hand. Never had either of them seen one this big...

"D-do something!"

"How the hell can I with you frickin' choking me?!" He began to stand upright (or at least tried to do so), half dragging the clinging Fuu up with him. "Maybe I can, I don't know, step on it? Or- HOLY FUCK!"

COMPLETELY out of the blue, the huntsman spider darted at lightning speed right near their bare feet after the statement had been voiced aloud. Mugen let out the strangest sound- a mixture of a shout and a choke that was higher pitched than normal-that she _could not_ believe came out of the man' smouth. Startled and losing balance fast, he lurched into the nearby wall, with the just as off balanced Fuu still hanging off an arm.

Several swears came from the pile of red and pink that had hit the floor. Most came from the vagrant, though a few less derogatory ones left the usually prudish woman's mouth after coughing.

As they stared frantically for the demonic looking creature… it appeared to have scurried back out into the rain through the door that they'd left a sliver open without realizing.

Neither moved from where they'd fallen.

Too petrified.

"What. The. _Actual_. Fuck."

As they laid on the floor, stares on sliding panel, Fuu's terror began to dissipate, replaced with an extraordinary laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"You sounded like a little girl!"

"I _did not_ scream like a bitch! That was_ you_!"

But Fuu's snickering could not be prevented. "It's funny. We were expecting to find a daitengu rapist… and instead find a masked Buddhist monk. And instead of a seductive spider demon… we find an _actual _giant spider. I guess you were right. Rumors are rumors."

"Nah, that frickin' spider definitely was a demon. An' I thought your _rat _was evil…"

That's when Fuu grasped her kimono, realizing that the flying squirrel hadn't been seen for the majority of the day. "…Where's…where's Momo?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if the little rat's gettin' eaten right about now."

"How could you say that?! Can't you help me find him?" Her innocent, chocolate eyes pleaded more than the words did.

Oh, Mugen and Momo had a history together, and not exactly the best one."Why? What's that little shit ever done for me?_ Stolen my food_?"

"Ugh! This is all _your_ fault. We've been stuck in these mountains for days now! I feel _disgusting_… We haven't bathed in forever, not like it matters to you since you never bathe anyway… And we've barely eaten anything besides roots! _AND_ we're _lost_, stuck in the middle of a rainstorm…miles from any town. Now, Momo is gone!" To find the victim of her ranting to be casually patting down his haori, and again laying upon it—hearing nothing she said—made Fuu really snap. "Why do you keep ignoring me?!"

The frustrated miscreant shot back a comment just as fiercely. "Why do ya find it necessary to bitch so damn much?!"

"Oh, you JERK! _You're_ the one who keeps brooding!"

"Me? _Brooding?_ Gimme a damn break! You can't shut your mouth unless your shovelin' food into it! You keep complainin' about everything! Are you on your frickin' period or somethin?!"

"Wha-I am NOT on my-"

"I woulda' been better off _leaving_ you back in that village with your batshit crazy grandma!"

She didn't even say a word. And yet, with the way her lower lip quivered for that sparse second, he knew he'd taken this completely irrelevant argument way too far. Mugen's own look of irritation fell away. "…Girlie, I-"

Faster than the sudden streaks of lightning outside, the patter of small feet fled from the temple shack and the sliding door had been slammed so hard behind her that it opened up again after the impact. The downpour outside engulfed any lasting trace of pink in sight.

'_He's always such as ass! I can't believe he's being like this again! First, he loses the magatama I got him…and now, now he…' _

Being stuck alone in the wilderness with him after her feelings were becoming more profound than ever was a problem within itself… Holding them in, like her ribs were a cage on her rapidly beating heart only intensified this sheer anxiety his presence brought every day.

"Momo-san! Where are you? Please come out!"

She soon returned back where they came from; the massive graveyard of Okunoin where only the rain and the graves could hear the woman's desperate calls. As the rain fell heavier, so did the rising and falling of Fuu's inhales. After running, a pressure burned the inside of her lungs until coughing was inevitable.

She felt like crying. But her erractic breaths wouldn't allow her to.

In recent months, they'd gone through so much emotional and physical torment. For a time, it really seemed like Mugen had gone back to being aloof, far off, as if all those personal, earnest conversations between them were just a figment of the imagination. But after those conversations they shared, she'd been more acquainted with her ex-bodyguard's hidden sympathetic side than ever before.

Yet, she knew she should have expected how he'd clam up all over again, like none of those conversations shared on the beaches had truly meant a thing. He'd always attempted to ignore her long monologues in the past, true. But lately...he seemed like he was hearing what she was saying, and just said nothing.

He cared for her. She knew that. And while he may not have feelings for her, as much as she would like, she knew he cared. It didn't bother her if he didn't act like it. He'd always been like that anyway... It just bothered her if he felt there was something wrong with him opening up. That's the real reason for all the constant doses of whining. Every complaint had been made to get a rise out of him; get him back to being Mugen—arguing and all. Not that detached stranger he'd been becoming.

Instead of a normal spat, Mugen had taken it too far... Brought up her grandmother of all things!

She shook the thought away, since at the moment, there was a much bigger dilemna to tend to.

"MOMO-SAN!"'

Again, her overstrained throat ached to the point of unbearable, until another slew of coughs broke out from the confinement of her closed, cracked lips. Each cough that racked her feeble body was accompanied by a shooting pain digging into her throbbing temples. While this feeling wasn't new today, it'd all been chalked up to a matter of exhaustion, or lack of sleep.

But now…it wouldn't_ stop_.

"Mo...mo...san..."

All of a sudden, her vision began to blur considerably, until the slivers of rain melded together…into a foggy blur of gray. Fuu's flailing hands found the course bark of a nearby tree that stood over a sharp decline; another staircase with crooked, wet steps.

The ground, the little indents in the rock tiles…it all started getting closer. She took a single step down the staircase that should not have been spiraling the way it currently spun, like a pinwheel, round and round, eternally, without beginning or end. Above, the ominous furls of black released the rain that twirled down even faster, blinding her sores eyes with a slew of stings.

When she lost her footing on the second stair, she too spun...

...and felt nothing when her head smacked against step after step on the long tumble down.

* * *

><p>A number of hours later, the man sprawled atop his haori awoke from the long snooze. All that walking really did take a lot out of them. Steadily opening his eyes, and giving a yawn, Mugen pressed a thumb and an index finger into the corners of each eye. He rubbed at them, lazily rolled over, and expected to find Fuu sitting somewhere nearby. Uneasiness set in when the traveler realized that in the unlit room, he sat alone.<p>

…Though _something_ crawled on his leg.

He never hopped up so fast in his life.

…Instead of an atrociously large arachnid…a flying squirrel sat on its tiny haunches, staring up at the ex-criminal with those shiny little onyx orbs. Momo squeaked harshly, as if accusing the man of committing the gravest sin.

"Wait just a _damn_ minute…_you're_ that little rat bastard…"

This time, Momo squeaked in affirmation.

"Then that means the girl is…"

Out there somewhere, in the pouring rain, alone, unarmed, with a monk stalking the cemetery that could quite easily be the alleged demon that attacked women. ...Already, it'd gotten quite dark.

"Son of a bitch."

Not long after, the temple room was absent of any life, besides Momo who chewed off the casing of a stray seed, and the huntsman spider who'd returned, resting peacefully in the farthest corner of the closet ceiling. Neither animal had any intention of bothering the other.

* * *

><p>Through the bitter torrent, the figure in crimson jogged past the displaced tomb stones and trembling trees. All across the expansive cemetery, the wooden clogs and rain pellets clinked upon the stone tiled pathways in a harmonic beat.<p>

Already, the various elevations of the headstones caused perception to go awry. Visibility only worsened from the heavy rain. For much time, he scoured over the bleak layout of Okunoin, with no such luck of finding what he so desperately sought. His mind immediately worked overtime, to the point where he began mentally preparing for the moment that Buddhist priest's neck got snapped for so much as touching Fuu.

Cursing for a number that'd gone untracked, the infuriated male doubled back to scan the graveyard paths more thoroughly.

Sure enough, there was a small set of uneven stairs leading to a separate sector filled with more graves that he'd passed without much thought prior. Two oak trees stood out to mark where the steps began. He veered in its direction, and glanced down the steep, slippery decline.

On the third step, a lone sandal rested on its side.

But it was the sight at the bottom of the flight that immediately caused Mugen's stomach to drop.

…_Motionless._

_...Pink._

_A motionless heap of pink._

So fast had Mugen acted, he could not even recall vaulting down the entire stone flight.

Within seconds, he was kneeled beside the body, elevating the woman's cold, soaked back from where it rested on the tiles.

Soggy locks of brown clung to pure white cheeks. Rainwater slipped from these loosened strands, outlining the curvatures of Fuu's heart shaped face and following the same paths where tears had fallen many instances of their past together.

"Come on, don't…don't be pullin' this shit on me now, girlie…" He attempted to mask his panic—more for himself than the unmoving Fuu—by speaking callously. This attempt immediately failed, since the words did not sound cocky whatsoever: _they quivered like the bleats of a wounded animal._

He lightly shook her lifeless form. Only her head fell to one side at the slight jostling. More drenched hair came loose from the bun and one of the kanzashi pins fell with a weak click to the ground below. With the hair out of the way, a bruising, partially bleeding gash on her right temple was revealed to him. God, his pulse practically _pounded_.

"…Fuu?"

A second time, he shook the girl vigourously enough that the man had to place a hand behind her frail neck for support from the force. "Fuu?!"

Still, the female did not stir. The color of the woman's skin lacked any real pigment; not that different from a haunting sight he'd seen far too many times: a…a _corpse._

"FUU!"

And then, there it was!

Movement.

Fleetingly, but enough to witness the movement, the unconscious girl's face tensed; battling something inside a nightmare perhaps. The sweet relief he felt in that small moment was so intense that Mugen raised his face to the rain above, breathing out the shuddering sigh.

"...Mm..."

Little by little, her eyes opened…and although he'd always considered them to be so bright and full of life, the chocolate brown shade now came across as washed out, _distant_. Through that glazed stare, he wondered if the girl could even perceive anything clearly.

Even still, while watching the nothingness above the violently quivering leaves…her parted lips formed a whisper that revealed to be no more than a single name. "Mu…Mugen…"

"For fuck's sake… I thought you were dyin' or somethin'! Don't go pullin' that shit on me again!"

As more rainwater cascaded upon her burdened eyelids, they began to droop closed again. However, her mouth remained open, and had twitched alive, asking a question he had to strain in order to hear. "Mugen...what did you just…say?"

"…Thought you were dyin'. Don't pull that on me again." repeated the male, dropping the excessive usage of profanities and the unintentional callousness in the tone. To his very own ears his horribly shaky voice was a foreign echo of someone else, _someone so much weaker_.

Whether because she struggled to speak, or felt another sudden twinge of pain, Fuu's drained expression tensed up into a stone seriousness. "No… Before that." Gradually… her eyes were growing heavier. "You said…you said my…"

"Hah?"

Not even a minute later, as if having never awakened, the paling girl fell back into a gentle slumber.

It hadn't been some assailant after all. There'd been no evidence of blood or any injuries…besides on the girl's temple that must have made an impact with the steps. He'd always been aware of her incredibly clumsy streak, but he didn't think she'd faint after falling down a staircase!

...It had to be more than clumsiness. In all the time they'd known each other, she'd never looked more sickly.

Less panicked than before, yet still ever anxious, Mugen brought a hand to her forehead; the pasty skin was _ablaze_, completely contrasting the rest of her that'd gone dreadfully frigid.

All that coughing earlier should've been taken into deeper consideration. He silently swore at himself, knowing Fuu's condition had become something that shouldn't have been overlooked so callously. No wonder she was ailed: these pink clothes were made of such flimsy swatches of fabric, and she was so scrawny! Not to mention, they'd been sleeping outside for so long and probably didn't receive any proper nourishment since that town beside Ise Bay.

"Dumb broad… Didn't ya ever hear you'll catch a cold from going out in the rain?! And you're _already_ sick…"

He'd have to carry her back.

Hesitation struck suddenly…

These tainted hands killed a great many. Now, Fuu laid in the weakest state. He knew it was the most ridiculous fear, and yet…his worry of how easily it could be to hurt her just by the trivial action of lifting her up...that infuriating thought surfaced and wouldn't disappear.

More cautiously than he'd done anything else, Mugen gently slid a hand from her neck to the small of Fuu's back and the other behind her knees. Just as expected, it took little to no effort to scoop her up from the sodden ground. Her weight felt far lighter than the time she'd been thrown over a shoulder in the past when escaping the brothel in Hikone. They had seldom ate a thing in the last week...

After nearly climbing up the flight of stairs, it finally hit his realization that he'd forgotten one of her hairpins at the bottom and the zori sandal on the third step. But he couldn't just put her down to pick them up, not on the unwelcoming surface of the cold ground again...

Instinctively, he tightened his grip on the petite frame held against his chest, momentarily revisiting that same discomforting thought …that if he were to drop her, the fragile girl might shatter like a porcelain vase.

He'd just have to go back out into the rain later on, after he started a fire, and found some decent blankets...

"The things I do for _you_…" Though, any other complaints went unvoiced afterwards.

Fuu in tow, the bodyguard then set back off in the direction of the Buddhist temple. A quick bolt of lightning struck an unfortunate tree somewhere nearby, and the deafening cracking of wood splinters was conjoined with the boom of thunder. Unbeknownst to the unconscious damsel, tattooed arms had tightened around her every time the wind screamed and the clouds cried from above. Be it the elements, demons…or her own sickness, he planned to safeguard her from any peril.

_**~To Be Continued~**_

* * *

><p>[AN]: _The rapping trio made their debut in __**Ep 16**__ of the anime when they told the story of Yoshitsune in the mountains. (I studied their English style more than Japanese since this fanfic is in English). Loved writing the ridiculous new rap XD (can't rap at all)._

_There was also a reference to Counting Stars, from the OST._

**Jorogumo-** spider demon that plays the biwa; a type of Japanese lute. Takes the form of a beautiful woman to seduce men…only to devour them.

**Daitengu- **higher form of tengu demons (the ones with geta feet and long noses). The daitengu's territories are at the tops of mountains where they live alone. They are not always inherently evil, holding connections to Buddhist temples and sometimes supposedly provide them protection and blessings.

**Hannya Mask**_**- **_freaky mask used in Noh theatre to represent a jealous female demon. Means "wisdom". One theory of its unknown origin is it was crafted by an artist monk named "Hannya-bo". (Is the monk an ordinary one, Hannya-bo, or a daitengu in disguise?! Will we ever know?!)

**Hoshi-sama- **polite way to address a Buddhist monk

**Huntsman Spider-** bigger than the size of your hand (OMG). Found in many areas around the world, including Japan, and in South Africa have been dubbed the "rain spider" since they invade houses before storms. Get it? Rain kumo? …Haha…ha. Puns. They don't spin webs but rather chase down their prey. Besides speed, they have a grab reflex if someone were to say try and shake them off. Their venom is harmless to humans. They rarely bite unless provoked and are actually friendly, and will try to cuddle with you at night if you are nice to them…ahem. If you try to kill them…they seek revenge. There are tons of stories online of people visiting Japan and flipping shit! Check 'em out. They're great pest control against flying cockroaches (so much worse) if you can mind having a GIANT spider in your house who will tend to get friendlier as times goes on… Next time you plan to visit a rural area of Japan, rethink your trip...

Momo: *squeak* (You sure gave Mugen a scare.)

Huntsman Spider: *chatters* (He screamed like a girl! And I can't believe they actually thought that I'd attack you! We should totally be besties.)

Momo: *squeak* (Definitely! Oh, I know! Why don't we form an alliance and play a giant prank on Mugen?)

Huntsman Spider: *sticks out leg*

Momo: *sticks out paw and shakes hands*

_Thus…the Flying Huntsman alliance was formed… O.o_

_Before you go researching this stuff, PLEASE drop a REVIEW below! There honestly might not be much to comment on since this was mostly setting up for the next two chapters… Let me know any thoughts if you have them though! :3 I'm hoping you guys haven't forgotten about me since I haven't updated in five months :( With no laptop, I've been typing on a tablet...it's really annoying._

_The weather forecast predicts…fluffy showers._

_**End of Chapter 29**_


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